Book  (1967)  Page(s) 47.  
 
Some All-Canadian Roses
by Fred Blakeney, Victoria, B.C.
The Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa, as may be expected, has done considerable rose breeding over a number of years. Dr. William Saunders started this programme with "Grace", a hybrid rugosa, in 1892, followed by "Agnes", also a hybrid rugosa, in 1900. After the passing of Dr. Saunders, the rose breeding programme was taken up by Miss Isabella Preston, and she produced nineteen hybrid species. Nearly all are shrub roses with one burst of bloom in June, but there are three climbers: "Agassiz" (1930), "Langford" (1930), and "Patricia Macoun" (1923).

Book  (1946)  Page(s) 54.  
 
In "Progress in Breeding Hardy Roses," Isabella Preston says,

Climbing roses are more difficult to grow in extremely cold climates than are bush varieties so several species of climbing habit were obtained and some crosses made. Rosa setigera proved to be one of the hardiest of the species tried at Ottawa and, as the small flowered polyanthas are the hardiest, continuous blooming varieties, crosses were made using some of these as parents. A large number of seedlings grew and the majority of them had large clusters of single flowers on very vigorous plants.

The name, Agassiz (R. setigera X Louise Walter) was given to one of the best. The blooms are more than two inches across, Amaranth Pink in color, and there are about a dozen buds in a cluster. It starts to bloom late in June and continues for over a month. The plant is hardier than the other climbing roses we have tried and survives the winters on the Prairies with some protection. At Ottawa they are taken off the supports and laid on the ground. They come through the winter safely with only the snow covering except in an unusually cold winter.