(1963)  Page(s) 165.  
 
Alba Roses. 'À Feuilles de Chanvre' (Rosa cannabina). The Hemp-leaved rose. This is a very old form, having almost thornless stems and narrow, long, grey-green leaves supposedly like that of its namesake. The flowers are small, white, and semi-double. 3 feet or thereabouts.
Redouté. Vol. 2. Plate 47. Rosa alba cimbaefolia, Le Rosier Blanc à feuilles de chanvre.

(1971)  Page(s) 20.  
 
...The war dragged on....A little later the Daisy Hill Nursery changed hands, and a few roses reached us safely; among them were 'Tuscany', 'Commandant Beaurepaire', 'Alain Blanchard', 'Coupe d'Hébé', and a striped rose that has since proved to be Rosa centifolia variegata.

(1971)  Page(s) 22.  
 
[Describing a trip in 1947] One of the rarest roses in her [Mrs Louis Fleischmann of Chetwode Manor, Buckinghamshire] garden was the Autumn Damask, a precious heirloom from the days when a few late blooms were greatly treasured. I described her garden at some length in Gardening Illustrated for July 1951.

(1971)  Page(s) 19-20.  
 
...shortly afterwards the only big commercial collection of shrub roses fell upon the market, that of Messrs G. Beckwith & Son of Hoddesdon. Although this collection was mainly composed of species, many of which were of doubtful horticultural value, the entire collection was acquired in the spring of 1940....There were several nuggets among the dross, such as...the exquisitely fragrant Gallica Rose 'Belle de Crécy'. This perfectly shaped old-world rose, in its extraordinary mixture of cerise, violet, and lilac-grey, happened to be planted near to the incomparable white hybrid Damask Rose 'Madame Hardy'....

(1971)  Page(s) 142.  Includes photo(s).
 
Gallica. Belle de Crécy. One of my favourites among the Gallicas, in fact I consider it supreme for its soft parma violet colourings - supreme among all old roses - and for fragrance it is hard to beat. Unfortunately it is not of very erect habit, but with a little support among other bushes it is admirable and will then attain 4 feet, and it is only lightly armed. The leaves tone well in their dull leaden green with the colours of the flowers, and are neat and well poised. On first opening the flowers give little indication of their ultimate colour, being of intense cerise pink freckled and veined with mauve. On exposure, and particularly in hot weather, they quickly begin to turn to softest violet, eventually being almost entirely lavender grey with purple and cerise tints here and there. A perfect flower, of which there are many, opens wide, with reflexing and flat petals, leaving a pronounced button eye. With white roses such as 'Madame Hardy' the contrast is exquisite. Prior to 1848. (Plate V).

(1971)  Page(s) 23.  
 
[describes visit to Ireland in 1949].. Also in their [Mr and Mrs Salmon at Larchfield, Dublin] collection were two roses which I have, I think, traced successfully since: the pink sport or parent of 'Leda' and 'Blush Hip', the climbing pink Rosa alba.

(1971)  Page(s) 120.  
 
"Notes on the Origin of the Moss Rose", C.C. Hurst:
Old Moss Rose, 1696 (Ducastel, 1746) --> White Moss, 1788 (Shailer, 1852) --> Blush Moss, 1789 (Shailer, 1852) --> Shailer's White Moss, 1790 (Shailer, 1852) --> Striped Moss, 1845 (Banbury, 1845) ; Cabbage Rose, 1865 (Caspary, 1865) ; Striped Moss, 1865 (Caspary, 1865)

(1971)  Page(s) 85.  
 
[From the article "Notes on the Origin and Evolution of our Garden Roses" by C. C. Hurst, first published 1941 in the "Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society"]
When the ever-blooming China came and was considered sufficiently hardy to plant outside about 1810, it was only natural that hybrids began to appear, and in 1815 the first two Hybrid Chinas came to light. The first was raised in England by Brown of Slough from Hume's Blush China, fertilized by a French Rose, and was known as Brown's 'Superb Blush'....

(1971)  Page(s) 20.  
 
Meanwhile, in 1941 I was lucky enough to find my way to Nymans, the late Lt-Col L. R. C. Messel's beautiful home at Handcross, Sussex. It was my special privilege to be taken round the remarkable collection of old roses by Mrs Messel, whose particular hobby it was to collect these delights before the war....I recall the great beauty of 'Charles de Mills' in all its glory, 4-5 feet high on that rich Wealden soil, with several dozen flowers well open...

(1971)  Page(s) 143.  
 
Charles de Mills. A compact shrub which makes one of the best displays every year. It is nearly thornless and the leaves are neat and fairly typical. The shape of the flowers is unique. They are extremely full-petalled, and when partly open they appear to have been sliced off in the bud, so flat and regular is the cupped formation. Later the petals open out, eventually resembling an African Marigold! - but with much more quality. When fully expanded into this ball-like shape it is noticed that in the centre there is a pale green cavity; one can see right into the receptacle, there being no button eye. As for colour, anything from richest crimson-purple through maroon to dark lilac and wine shades may be found on any bloom at any time. This is rather a coarse bloom, but is really splendid when planted with strong pink varieties. 5 feet.