Set of 3: 29c Flowers

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29USA RODAESTER APR 1991 14692 NY 29 USA ROCHESTER APR 1991 14692 NY 29 USA 29 USA ROCHESTER AUG 2 16 1991 14692 NY

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TULIP First Day of Issue: April 5, 1991 First Issue Location: Rochester, New York This graceful garden flower, which we traditionally asso- ciate with the Netherlands, is actually an exotic native of Asia Minor. The first bulbs found in Europe came to Vienna, Austria, from Constantinople in Turkey. Resem- bling the Turkish turbans for which they were named, the beautiful blossoms achieved instant notoriety. By the 17th century the tulip reigned as the most popular flower in many European countries. Hardest hit by “tulipomania" was Holland, where Dutch citizens invested in tulips much like modern speculators invest in stocks or real estate. Many lost their entire fortunes during this horticul- tural craze, and the Dutch government eventually passed legislation to regulate bulb trade. Tulip cultivation remains a vital industry in the Netherlands. The Royal Dutch General Bulbgrower's Association zealously monitors hy- bridization processes throughout the world and requires all hybrid species to undergo years of intensive testing before inclusion in the international register of tulips. No. 91-15 ©1991 The Maximum Card Collection A division of Unicover Corporation Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 ® Original painting for the Maximum Card by Kang Da Mei and Guo Wen Lin TULIP First Day of Issue: April 5, 1991 First Issue Location: Rochester, New York “Clean as a lady, cool as glass, fresh without fragrance the tulip was," wrote poet Humbert Wolfe in 1924. His words aptly describe the crisp lines and austere elegance of this garden perennial. In 1554 O. de Busbecq, the Austrian ambassador to Turkey, spied tulips growing in a garden near Constantinople and brought a few bulbs back to Vienna. Soon word of this unusual flower spread through- out Europe. British and Dutch colonists brought the tulip to the Americas, and it has remained tremendously popu- lar with serious and “week-end" gardeners alike. Lacking the heady perfume of a gardenia or tuberose and the dense, velvet blossoms of a rose, the tulip is a hardy but refined flower. Like other bulb varieties, the tulip cannot withstand harsh winters. Conscientious gardeners must dig up the bulbs before the season's first hard freeze and store them in a cool, dry place. Perfect in floral arrange- ments, the tulip is equally impressive artfully placed in ornate bouquets or simply scattered in crystal vases. No. 91-16 ©1991 The Maximum Card Collection A division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 ® Original painting for the Maximum Card by Kang Da Mei and Guo Wen Lin TULIP First Day of Issue: August 16, 1991 First Issue Location: Rochester, New York Tulips are members of the lily family. These hardy, bulbous-rooted flowers originated in the Old World and flourished in temperate climates ranging from Japan to Asia Minor. The flowers have retained a devoted follow- ing among modern gardeners who cannot envision spring flowerbeds without hosts of colorful tulips. Most culti- vated tulips are varieties of T. gesneriana and possess the slender stems and turban-shaped blossoms typical of the flower. Yet a walk through the Netherlands' tulip markets provides an astonishing lesson in horticulture. Nestled among the more familiar flowers are strange, exotic plants in many shapes, sizes and colors. Some have pointed, lily- like petals which curl daintily. Others are short, stubby flowers which look more like crocuses than tulips. Occa- sionally a tulip “breaks” — its bulb produces a new color or bizarre pattern. In the past broken bulbs fetched extravagant market prices. Botanists now know that a virus spread by aphids causes the mutant flower, and diseased tulips are removed to prevent further infection. No. 91-17 ©1991 The Maximum Card Collection A division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 ® Original painting for the Maximum Card by Wang Zhenhua