2011Cultivated Flora of Hungary- Fruit (Cat’s Head Pear, Domesticated Apple) - Set

"Magyar Posta has started issuing a new series presenting the cultivated fruit of Hungary on stamps. The design of the stamps employs com-positions reminiscent of still lifes. The HUF 145 stamp shows the domesticated apple and the HUF 310 stamp depicts the cat’s head pear. Other fruit compositions are used for the first day cover and the special postmark. Both cultivars can be found in the Újfehértó Gene Bank Collection.Domesticated apple ? Its origin is uncertain but it was certainly grown in the 16th century in France. In Hungary it is still grown in small gardens and vineyards on the Great Plain. It ripens in August. Its 240-300 g fruit is a flattened ball with a whitish yellow flesh and stripy skin, and there is also a single colour clone version. Its flesh is hard and highly acid with little flavour. It is favoured for its size and is widely used in cooking. The tree has a large crown with big leaves and remarkably small buds. It starts producing late but then produces well, albeit in phases. The species tolerates a va-riety of growing locations but it likes alkaline soil the least. The tree is excellent for old fashioned gardens and requires minimal care. The fruit can be kept until the end of September in a cool larder. Cat’s head pear ? Already cultivated in 1590 in the Bamberg nursery, it became known in French areas as well as West Hungary. Its fruit is large, about 9-9.5 cm in diameter. Its stem is thick and strong and does not drop easily. Hard skin and yellow flesh are typical with a reddish-brown skin on the sunny side. Its flesh is crispy and coarse but not stony. Sweet, but a little tart, it is the typical kitchen type. It used to be popular for stewed fruit and jelly. In France it was also fermented to make perry. During November and December after-ripening is finished but it can be kept until spring. There are some in Transdanubia and more in his-toric Upper Hungary. (Source: written by Dezső Surányi, professor of historic ecology"