(1978)  Page(s) 104.  
 
We have in Britain at the moment a wonderful exhibition rose named 'Admiral  Rodney', light pink with a suggestion of lilac; very large, very beautiful, sweetly scented, and let me say, not so weakly as some I could mention. Now suppose a plate-sized flower of 'Admiral Rodney' should be shown, with its perfect heart, and against it poor little 'Rose Gaujard' with its split centre: the judges will think they had an easy task, as they stick the First Prize ticket on 'Admiral Rodney',  and we will admit they have chosen the more beautiful flower.  But let them think again.  The one is naturally large, the other naturally smaller...
 

(1978)  Page(s) 112.  
 
'Alec's Red' Medium     Crimson   Remontant    P9    H2  ***
'Alec's Red'  has a large, globular flower of many petals and rich scent. It was obvious upon trial in our nursery that it excelled the other red roses we then had, in growth, size, perfume and in holding its colour in the old flowers. I could have wished it had a deeper and richer colour to hold. I will not forget those trials in a hurry, for when we had  only a few plants of 'Alec's Red', the soil around them was compressed to a smooth, hard surface by the feet of the rose nurserymen who clustered around it. The raiser, Alexander Cocker  of Aberdeen, allowed several growers to have it on trial, and while he was wondering what attractive name to bestow on the rose, they called it 'Alec's Red' and the name stuck. It became very popular in Britain, and won the Royal National Rose  Society's premier awards for merit and fragrance.  It was raised from 'Fragrant Cloud' x 'Dame de Coeur', and introduced in 1970. Subsequently Mr  Cocker repeated that cross in greater quantity, but whereas his first trial of it had yielded about fifteen seedlings of promise, the second and much larger endeavour produced nothing of merit at all.

(1978)  Page(s) 113.  
 
Alexander'  Tall   Vermilion   Remontant    P3  H3   ****
The colour of 'Super Star' had appeared to be something quite new in 1960, and in 1972 it was taken some stages further by 'Alexander'. The difference can best be appreciated by setting a flower of  each rose side by side,   when the luminous vermilion of 'Alexander' reveals how much pink underlies 'Super Star’. Probably some influence from the yellow pollen parent contributes to 'Alexander's' brilliance. It was bred  from 'Super Star' x ('Ann Elizabeth' x  Allgold').
'Alexander' is a tall and vigorous plant, with gleaming dark leaves and long flower stems. It can grow as a stalwart hedge, provided it is pruned each year; and will bear most  of its flowers about chest high in the British climate. The flowers are well formed, but not of such substance as those of 'Super Star'. They open from an attractive bud form into wide blooms of  about twenty-two petals. Sometimes the petals have scalloped  edges, and always the flowers gleam in the sun in quite astonishing brilliance.
I named this rose in memory of Earl Alexander of Tunis, who was the outstanding British General of the Second World War. He had been Honorary Colonel  of the 3/2 Punjab  Regiment, in which I spent most of my six years in the Army. The idea came to me when Major-General Naylor  took me to see Alexander's grave in his church at Ridge in Hertfordshire, and it was enthusiastically supported by my old friends in the Regiment.

(1978)  Page(s) 126.  
 
'Circus'  The neat flowers, small and shapely, had their yellow all flushed towards golden apricot, and marked with pink or red flushes, mostly on the outer petals. It came as a sensation in 1956, from Herbert Swim of Armstrong Nurseries; the parents were 'Fandango' x 'Pinocchio' . Although it was to prove a valuable parent, its career in cultivation was strange, for it divided into at least three separate types; one was vigorous and coarse growing, with too many buds in an ugly cluster, and pale flowers; the second was the true ' Circus' ; and the third was much deeper in colour, not quite so strong as the true one, and with fewer petals.   Before these variations were appreciated, those who collect wood for propagation in nurseries had not unnaturally taken much from the  most vigorous and least desirable of the three, as being the easiest supplier; and there followed a painful period of trying to get rid of it.  But no matter how one selected the propagating material, that brute would come back; The attractive colour of the third type caused Harry Wheatcroft to introduce it in 1959 as 'Alison Wheatcroft'.  A similar but more double sport, and I think a better one, was found in Livermore, California by F. B. Begonia and Paul De Vor, and introduced by Armstrong Nurseries in 1963 as 'Circus Parade'. For some reason these two sports are not so liable to revert as was the true ' Circus' .

(1978)  Page(s) 140.  
 
'Allen Chandler'. Climber. Crimson. Remontant. Perfume 3. Hips 3. [ both on an ascending scale of merit from 1 to 10]. 3 stars recommendation. I am sorry to start off the Climbing Hybrid Teas with one which is semi-double, but i would make exceptions all the way for this excellent rose. Sad to say, it is becoming rare. It has large flowers of brilliant crimson, a fine sight. Amenable to staying within a desired space, it does not usually go very high. Raised by Mr. Chandler from seed of 'Hugh Dickson' and introduced by George Prince of Oxford in 1923, when the National Rose society described it 'one of the greatest acquisitions of recent years'.

(1978)  Page(s) 125.  
 
`Allgold' Medium   —    Yellow   Remontant   P2  H1   ***** 
Introduced in 1956, Allgold' is one of the purest and deepest yellow roses ever raised, and has the added advantage of holding its colour without fading or changing perceptibly; quite a rare thing in roses. The plants are below average height, and their leaves are shiny, deep green, and resistant to disease. It is the best variety that Edward Le Grice ever raised, and one of the fastest Floribundas to repeat its flowers.   Some twenty years ago Le  Grice told me of its origin, and how it justified the theory of making trial crosses. Goldilocks' was an obvious gift to rose breeders, and Le Grice  sought for a mate to deepen its colour......
He  made a  trial of Goldilocks' x Ellinor Le  Grice', and noted that the few seedlings were promising. Like a gold miner who sees the first glint, he explored more thoroughly, by raising eight thousand seedlings of the same cross, of which he introduced four: 'Golden Delight' and Honeyglow' in 1955; `Allgold' and 'Copper Delight', in 1956. He himself quotes the dates a year later in each case, but his advertisements in the Rose Annual refute this. However, that is a trivial detail to put beside a brilliant exercise in rose breeding, in which careful observation and practical imagination led him to his target.

(1978)  Page(s) 130.  
 
.....the hope was to introduce 'Allgold' into orange colours; but 'Allgold' itself is not normally the best of parents, because it transmits to most of its seedlings small leaves and flowers. The breeder's principle then is to mate 'Allgold' with something strong, and use the ensuing seedling in the hope that 'Allgold's' desired qualities will turn up in its grandchild.  

(1978)  Page(s) 144.  
 
'Allgold, Climbing'   Climber   Yellow   Summer +    P2   H1  *
A  handsome plant, needing its foliage alone to establish that. The bright yellow flowers  are unfortunately not plentiful, but very effective. Introduced by Gandy's Roses,  North Kilworth, Rugby,  in 1961. 

(1978)  Page(s) 140.  
 
'Aloha'  Climber    Pink Remontant    P3   H2    *** 
Do not use to cover a large space, because it may take years to grow to any height. On the other hand, it has advantages as a short climber, and may be grown as a shrub. The flowers are stuffed full of pink petals, the outside being darker than the inside. Maybe it is small for a Hybrid Tea, but in shape and fullness gives a good imitation. Raised by Eugene Boerner from  'Mercedes Gallart' x  'New Dawn' , and introduced in 1949. 

(1978)  Page(s) 144.  
 
'Altissimo'  Climber    Crimson Remontant      P2  H3  *** 
This is the nearest we can find to a red 'Mermaid'. The large blooms are brilliant red, virtually single, and beautiful indeed. One could wish they  appeared in greater abundance.   Raised by Delbard-Chabert  of Paris, and introduced in 1966.