I once, many years ago, grew quite a few roses to test their habits in the soil in my area for the largest commercial rose grower in the US. I understand the old fashioned rose that was likely the subject of some of the engravings we have seen to be what today is sometimes called a "Cabbage Rose." It opens up leaving a tightly balled up wad of petals resembling a small head of cabbage in the center of the flower. This was an early attempt at breeding what today is called a "double" petal rose, or what the experts refer to as a "Tea" rose. I don't think I have seen a "Tea" rose represented. That's the type we see today in floral bouquets we buy. In The South we have a wild native rose we call a "Cherokee Rose." It is a "single" row of petals, rather than a "double" row, and also differs from the old "Cabbage" rose. I think I can see both a "Cabbage" rose and a wild single rose we would refer to in my area as a "Cherokee" rose in some of these engravings. Here's a finely engraved Charles Boswell with both types engraved.
