I don't know why Isabella Sprunt and Safrano are'nt designated as Earthkind roses. Both seem immune to blackspot and disease, they're drought tolerant, vigorous and tough. Clay soil with bad drainage doesn't seem to bother them. They bloom close to 10 months a year in the Houston area and I love the winter blooms, they are very special to me. Also neither rose has problems with balling in humidity or after rain. I love them!

The Garden 17: 398 (May 1, 1880)

Among the many letters I received in respect to inquiries, is one from the Rev. James M. Sprunt, Kenansville, and is of such interest that I insert it as it came to me:— "I am in receipt," says Mr. Sprunt, "of yours of the 29th ult., asking for some particulars relative to the origin of the Roses James and Isabella Sprunt. In the spring of 1865 I removed from my former residence in this town to the premises on which I now reside. Among the plants which I carried with me was a very large and handsome Saffrano Rose. It had been trained to a single stem, fully 2 in. in diameter, and forming a symmetrical head about 4 ft. from the ground. I pruned it well back, but the early summer being dry, the top died. The plant, however, put forth six or eight strong shoots from the collar at the surface of the soil, and one of these attracted my attention from its dissimilarity to the others in the colour of the stem and foliage. I observed it carefully until it bloomed, when it proved to be a fine yellow, all the other shoots retaining the normal colour of the Saffrano. From this sport, which was named Isabella Sprunt, after one of my daughters, I sent cuttings to Mr. Isaac Buchanan, of New York, in I860, and it was sent out by him some two or three years afterwards, I think before the close of the war, though I heard nothing concerning it till 1865. [By referring to old files of the Country Gentleman, we find Mr. Buchanan first offered this for sale in 1860.] I may add that in the winter of 1856 I took up the old plant, and sawed the stock into five or six pieces, being careful to get a good share of the root to the yellow shoot; that plant still lives, and is quite constant, though it has had perhaps two or three Saffrano flowers, certainly one; and besides, about two years ago there was a fully developed bud and flower, exactly one-half of which was like Saffrano, and the other half like Isabella Sprunt. I tried to fix this new sport, but it produced afterwards only yellow flowers. About the same time (1855) I divided some strong plants of Agrippina and planted them at my new home. Two or three years later I observed a single shoot from one of these plants growing vigorously without flowers or branches, and as I observed it from time to time, it continued until it measured over 15 ft. before it showed any buds, the rest of the plant retaining its normal characteristics. This shoot branched out very freely the following year, and cuttings retained the same habit invariably. I came to the conclusion that this was not a sport, but a chance seedling, as the flowers were so very unlike the parent, and the roots were so matted together, that I could not determine whether it proceed from the old root or not without taking up the whole plant, which I was unwilling to do. But the wonderful thing is that after the rest of the plant had for years retained its original habit and flowers, gradually it began to change, until the whole is now like the James Sprunt in growth and flower, and no part of the Agrippina remains. I have written you this statement that you may judge for yourself, my own opinion having changed more than once." Safrano is, therefore, without doubt, a sport, arising from one of those strange freaks in which Nature occasionally indulges. About James Sprunt there is less certainty, but I consider it also to be a sport; it is like Agrippina, only with more substance of flower, and greater vigour of growth. The theory of evolution would point towards this as an example of how Nature tends towards progression and improvement as well as towards variation.