Website/Catalog  (1924)  Page(s) 38.  
 
DR. W. VAN FLEET (P. Henderson 1910). Fl. rose carné tendre, c. incarnat rosé, tr. gr., tr. pi. , tr. double, en forme de coupe, bouton pointu. Arb. tr. vig., sarment., tr. florif.

Website/Catalog  (1924)  Page(s) 55.  
 
Wichuraiana Class. Dr. W. van Fleet (10) (Van Fleet) 6. A very fine large-flowered, semi-double variety. Not known yet or it would be higher up.

Website/Catalog  (1923)  Page(s) 14.  
 
Dr. W. van Fleet (Henderson, 1910). Wichuraiana. Flesh-pink. Very beautiful, finely formed, large-bloomed climber.

Magazine  (Mar 1922)  Page(s) 308.  
 
[From "Rosiers grimpants Hybrides de thés, Thés et Noisette", by W. Easlea Danecroft, Seigh-on-Sea.]
Certains Wichuriana au beau feuillage tels que Miss Helyett, D^r Van Fleet, etc., couvriraient plus rapidement un mur qu'un hybride de thé grimpant, mais après la première moisson de fleurs il ne reste rien (pie le beau feuillage pour toute la saison.

Book  (1922)  Page(s) facing p. 13.  Includes photo(s).
 
Dr. W. van Fleet

Book  (1922)  Page(s) 16-17.  
 
ony at Ruskin, Tenn., to which came such men as the Russian Prince, Kropotkin, and the famous journalist, Arthur Brisbane. It was here that the rose later named for the Doctor was originated. He had taken South, along with a host of other seedlings, a weakly little plant which itself was a typical Wichuraiana, resulting from a cross with the Safrano rose, a well-known old fashioned Tea. Using this seedling as the female parent, he worked upon it pollen from the French Hybrid Tea, Souv. du President Carnot. But three or four heps matured, and these he took with him, when his medical service at Ruskin terminated, back to Little Silver, N. J., where he later sowed the few sound seeds they contained. Of these seeds but a few germinated and grew. This was in the fall of 1899, and in 1901 the seedlings bloomed. Among about 150 others in bloom at the same time, this particular rose showed at once its remarkable freshness of color and unusual bud character. Mrs. Van Fleet and the Doctor agreed to name it Daybreak.
Then Patrick O'Mara, of the firm of Peter Henderson & Co., visited the gardens, and he said when he saw in bloom the few plants of Daybreak that the Doctor had propagated, "We've got to have that at once," though he criticized its seeming lack of vigor. The Doctor accepted O'Mara's offer carrying the right to name the new rose and fully control its sale, and he was paid $75, although at that time he thought it should have been worth $250. As was his custom. Dr. Van Fleet retained a plant for himself—a very fortunate thing
The several precious plants of this Daybreak were delivered in the fall to Mr. O'Mara, and the latter was told to start its propagation slowly in a coolhouse, but this was not done. The gardeners of the firm put the plants in a hothouse and forced them into bloom. The blooms were flimsy and did not impress the other members of the Henderson firm. O'Mara said, "It looked devilish good to me, but it doesn't hold up."
Here the Doctor took up the story in his own words:
"The plants were taken out of the greenhouse and sent to Charles Henderson's place at Hackensack. and planted there in their tender condition. Bitter weather came along and killed every one of them, but I was not told. I waited five or six j-ears for the firm to bring it out. It was due to come out in 1906, but it did not come. O'Mara came to Little Silver for other things, but said little about Daybreak. My own plant in the meantime had grown into a beautiful bush with a big root system, and I had made a propagation or two to make it safe. When the 1906 Henderson catalogue came out and Daybreak was not in it, I wrote to O'Mara, and he then told me he had lost it all. I told him that wouldn't do, that I had stock, and that it was the finest thing I had. I told him the public was entitled to it, and that if he wouldn't put it out I would. He
said, 'Bring some up and show it to Charles Henderson.'
"It was in good bloom then, and I brought up to New York an armful of it, and also an armful of the Silver Moon with its long-stemmed flowers. O'Mara was delighted when he saw these, and said, 'Business or no business, we'll go right in and see Mr. Henderson !
' The latter gentleman said at once, 'We have had no such novelties as these for years. They are revelations; we want both of them.' They both liked the Van Fleet best, because a pink rose is a better seller. Henderson said, 'I'll pay the Doctor anything he asks for Daybreak and this white rose.' They sent their propagator right down and took the bud wood. I asked him $100 for it.
"Then the roses disappeared from view for three or four years, or until 1910, when the Henderson catalogue featured both of them. They had coined for the white rose the name of Silver Moon—a very happy name. "Patrick O'Mara wrote that Charles Henderson was going to name the other rose after me. I objected, and asked him to continue to call it Daybreak, but O'Mara insisted, and thus it was finally named Dr. W. Van Fleet."

Website/Catalog  (1922)  Page(s) 14.  
 
Novelties of 1921
Dr. W. van Fleet (H.W.) (Van Fleet) This is the result of an effort to produce the large-flowering H.T. blooms on the Dorothy Perkins type. The flowers are four inches in diameter, with high centre. The colour is a delicate shade of flesh pink, deepening to rosy flesh in the centre. The flowers are full and double, and are delicately perfumed. Well worth trying.

Magazine  (1918)  Page(s) 254.  
 
"Mildew-Resistant Roses: with some Suggestions as to Increasing their Number."
By Walter Easlea, F.R.H.S.
[Read July 17, 1917...]
As is generally known, R. Wichuraiana has been largely employed by Rose-hybridists as the seed parent of many of our best Ramblers, and when it has been crossed with the glossy-leaved Tea Rose it has produced mildew-proof foliage. Such examples are found in 'Jersey Beauty', 'Léontine Gervais', 'Albéric Barbier', 'François Juranville', 'Dr. Van Fleet', 'Miss Helyett', 'Edmond Proust', 'Gardenia', and many others.

Book  (1917)  Page(s) 26-7.  
 
Roses Worth While for Everybody by George C. Thomas, Jr.
For climbing roses in the South, while the Wichuraiana and hardy Climbers will do well, their blooming season is so short compared with other roses which may be grown that they are not recommended.
There are so many well-known Climbing Teas, Noisettes, and Climbing Hybrid Teas which give good results and from which bloom may be expected during the entire growing season, that it is not considered advisable to recommend as yet some of the newer European introductions of supposedly hardy roses which are put out as being of everblooming habit.
Dr. W. Van Fleet. Hybrid Wichuraiana. Reported to be a cross between a Wichuraiana and Souv. du President Carnot. It is a Hybrid Wichuraiana, but on account of the form of the bloom is placed with the Hybrid Tea Climbers. Is more hardy than the Hybrid Tea sports and is of a soft flesh tint shading to delicate peach-pink; gives a bloom on somewhat longer stem than the average Climber; blooms well in the spring and scattering blooms thereafter. Foliage very good and lasts quite well.

Website/Catalog  (1917)  Page(s) 41.  Includes photo(s).
 
Hardy Climbing and Trailing Roses
Dr. W. Van Fleet. — Produced by Dr. Van Fleet and the finest pink climbing rose by far, so far introduced. In fact, the superb flowers are produced on long stems and equal in size and beauty fine roses grown under glass. A strong grower with abundant, beautiful foliage and is extremely hardy. Flowers when open run four inches and over in diameter. The center is built high, petals beautifully undulated and cupped. The color is a delicate shade of flesh pink on the surface, deepening to rosy flesh in the center. The flowers are full and double, delicately perfumed; buds pointed.