Book  (1947)  Includes photo(s).
 
p35-1 J. A. King, Brighton, Vic.  Favourite Roses. 
‘William 0rr’ is, in my opinion, one of the very best dark red Roses and should be in the first six of any collection, as this Rose is an acquisition to any gardener. Deep red in colour, of good exhibition form, more than average petals, it will be found in most of the best exhibits at every Spring Show, and whilst in the summer and autumn it loses a little of its form, it is still good enough to stage in any schedule number, particularly as good reds are hard to find when required for the Show. In addition to what has been stated in the foregoing, this Rose is an excellent one for decorative purposes, both for Shows and in the home, and has a charm that is missing from many others. Furthermore, it has few drawbacks, as, judging from its habits with me, die-back is conspicuous by its abscence, as is mildew and other types of disease frequently in evidence in some of our best Roses. Another advantage it has is its beautiful foliage, it being supplied with an abundance of very attractive leaves that lend to its decorative qualifications in the garden. ‘William Orr’ is certainly not a hard Rose to grow. It is best suited in an open, sunny position, with enough space to expand naturally. It likes light loamy soil, good drainage, a generous supply of good animal manure, with usual proportion of potash, if available, and plenty of water. It resents hard pruning. I have recently added to my three-quarter standards, and the new plants give promise of developing as well as the earlier ones.. One of the original three-quarter standards planted eight years ago is a magnificent specimen. At its base, it would be anything from 10 to 12 inches in circumference, and the plant itself has a spread of at least ten feet. It carries, at times, probably 200 or more blooms, and dozens of them are up to exhibition standard. One cannot do justice to the variety in a description of this kind. I have erred on the conservative side, so this note should, in some measure, show what a good Rose ‘William Orr’ is. (See photograph on page 36. -Editor.)

p36b/w photo

p38.  Dr. A. S. Thomas, Bentleigh, Victoria.  Favourite Roses. 
Many growers report poor results with William Orr, but I am afraid in my final analysis I am driven to... the dark crimson with black shadings found in Wm. Orr. Then I find myself leaning to the red, possibly because it grows so lustily for me and for my neighbours. It is always a mass of bloom, no die-back or black spot, and only occasionally a little mildew. I have over a dozen plants and cut hundreds of blooms each year. Exhibition, home decoration, garden plant, perfume, colour, growth, foliage, disease resistance - yes, it has all that a good Rose should have. It seems to do better on dwarf stocks than as a standard. It should be well manured and supplied with plenty of water, in which case it should do well for everyone.

p55-4 Thomas Hogg. Surrey Hills, Vic.
…with me the much neglected ‘William Orr’, as Mr. Hazlewood referred to it, is a more consistent bloomer.

Book  (1947)  Page(s) 132.  
 
William Orr (Garden, Show & Decorative)  A free flowering rich red with a velvety tone. Foliage, fragrance and growth are all that can be desired. Healthy, clean bush. Fragrant. Habit 3. (HT)

Website/Catalog  (1947)  Page(s) 49.  
 
‘William Orr’ (HT) Deep velvety crimson. A beautiful bloom. Strong grower with light green foliage that is an attraction in itself. Fragrant.

Book  (1947)  Page(s) 70.  
 
Norman Lambert. Red Roses.
If ‘William Orr’ of deep velvety colouring, had been as strong, it would have been a very popular variety. One of my friends still thinks it the best crimson and grows it well as a standard.

Website/Catalog  (1945)  Page(s) 23.  
 
'William Orr'. Deep velvety crimson with a delightful sheen. Flowers are large, full and of perfect form, with rich sweet fragrance. A garden bedding and exhibition sort which can be strongly recommended.

Book  (1944)  Page(s) 35.  
 
S. H. Bidwell. N.Z.
‘William Orr’ HT (McGredy, 1930). Description: Deep velvety crimson with a delightful sheen. The outer portion of the petals is of a much lighter shade. Flowers are large, full and of perfect form. Fragrance exceptionally sweet. A garden bedding and exhibition variety which can be strongly recommended.

Comments: this is another excellent dark velvety crimson, good for both exhibition and garden purposes. In cooler climates its ranking is very high. (Penn).

Book  (1944)  Page(s) 13.  
 
Leonard Hollis. Some of the Best Autumn Blooming Roses.
The crimson and scarlet varieties are usually seen to advantage at the fall of the year. Blueing is then not the problem it can be at the height of the season. ‘William Orr’ and …. then reveal their characteristic deep velvety crimson pile.

Book  (1943)  Page(s) 45.  
 
Alister Clark.
It was at Poulsen’s Nursery that I saw the first bloom of ‘William Orr’ from a dormant bud. I had never seen such a magnificent Red Rose, but established plants do not produce such flowers.

Book  (1943)  Page(s) 261.  
 
A Glossary of Roses
William Orr (Hybrid Tea) has very shapely double, large, high pointed flowers of deep crimson, with attractively reflexed petals. Growth is moderately vigorous and bushy, foliage is light green, and the flowers freely produced for a protracted period in good years. 
McGredy 1931. Deciduous, Vigorous Growth, Very Fragrant... Purpose: Bedding, Exhibition, Garden, Standard; Months of flowering: June-October. Hardy.

Book  (1941)  Page(s) 120.  
 
Fred Jackson, Bassendean WA. 
Luna and William Orr were two-year-olds, and neither is more than three feet high and may be termed just Rose bushes.