Everblooming Roses for the Out-door Garden of the Amateur (1912) pp. 44-45
Georgia Torrey Drennan

General Jacqueminot, among famous roses of the world, was the most distinct and celebrated member of this family until the appearance of the American Beauty. Charitably granted the weakness of blooming but once a year, paradoxical yet true, both General Jacqueminot and American Beauty must be accorded high place among everbloomers. They simply reverse the season. Their bloom time is winter. Florists find them as constant during the winter months as the Teas during the summer. They supply the cut roses of winter under the heaviest demands of society. Under glass, they make the winter garden brilliant.

Jacqueminot is much more available for amateurs than American Beauty. It is a free and responsive garden rose, blooming in great splendour for six weeks in spring and early summer. No rose can altogether take its place. Florists depend on it for exquisitely beautiful buds in winter, and so popular has it been that one occasion is recalled when the buds sold for eighteen dollars apiece in New York City. Sweep the eye over any garden of roses in springtime bloom, and it will be easily understood why General Jacqueminot is so highly distinguished. The intense glow and radiance of the rich crimson-lake roses of velvety substance, would give it distinction among the roses of Cashmere or the blooms of Damascus. Fisher Holmes, of later origin, is called the "improved Jacqueminot." It has the same deep, rich, crimson hue, and is a larger, fuller rose, blooming a week or ten days longer in spring.

(This discussion was published long before Nicholas imported the truly improved and ever-blooming Gen Jack from France.)

I’ve been so embarrassed. Having gathered into my garden, two separate plants of ‘Général Jacqueminot’, I had to admit to a friend that I wouldn’t know ‘Général Jacqueminot’ if I fell over it. They just haven’t grown that well. To make amends I have been reading up on the rose. As far as I can see, the bloom is not terribly full and it shows the stamens when fully opened. (The black and white illustrations I have found and uploaded on to HelpMeFind seem exaggerated as to the fullness.) The leaves have “marked serrations” and when you consider the parent ‘Gloire des Rosomanes’ with its deep serrations on the leaf edge, that is understandable. The word “thin” occurs often and I believe this refers to the foliage and perhaps to the texture, and not to the width. Prickles are numerous, and unequal. Apparently the wood is green, and supposed to be “slender” or “not very thick". So now, if I stub my toe on the stubs of my plants, I might just know it. But there are two discrepancies that still bother me. Gwen Fagan (1988 reference) has said “stout stems”; and “unfoliated” sepals and her superb photo shows unfoliated sepals. In the 1873 reference the sepals are said to be “leaf-like” and two of those old black and white illustrations do show foliated (leaf-like) sepals.
So, can anyone help me on the Auld Jineral’s sepals and stems?

I've had this rose in my garden for nine years. General Jack is as winter hardy as they come, canes and all. When most of the Hybrid Teas were taken to the ground by -20 temps this one only required a trim to take off dry tips. It drips with blooms every Spring.

I'm not a fan of once bloomers, but this one is so enchanting when it does bloom that I couldn't bear to take it out.