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Robert Huey: Madame

Verdier in 1863, and Madame Bravy was a Tea raised by Guillot, of Pont Cherin, in 1848.

The next Hybrid Tea that appeared and stood the test of time was Reine Marie Henriette, raised by Levet, in 1878, from Madame Berard (of Gloire de Dijon) and General Jacqueminot; the first of Tea blood, and the second a Hybrid Perpetual. This rose is listed in English catalogues of today in the climbing section as a Hybrid Tea, although still considered by some as a Tea, and so listed in the Dutch Rozennaamlijist of 1909.

After the introduction of these two roses, the work went on still further and cross breedings of hybrids obtained by hybridization soon began to swell the list of new roses.

Roses so obtained are known as pedigree roses and very seldom is their breeding given, although it seems an open secret that three generations are often required before a new rose of merit is secured. The breeders and introducers of new roses have guarded their breeding secrets with the greatest care in the past, and little or no information as to their special methods is obtainable. This secrecy has seemed eminently proper, but for the future improvement of the rose, the pedigrees of all new roses should be given to the world so that other breeders may try like combinations. The professional breeders would still be able to make their profit from their new roses, and the rose world would be greatly benefited by this knowledge.

While it is impossible, therefore, to give the breeding of the various pedigree roses, nevertheless a few examples of roses discovered by hybridization and cross breeding of one generation may be of interest.