Question
QUESTION: We have the antique rose, American Pillar, on a fence. New growth was coming out and they were doing great.  Now, there are many yellow leaves and it almost looks like the climber is dying. I don't know what to do for it. HELP ! The roses came from Hewins, KS. We live in Texas.

ANSWER: American Pillar should do very well but if the leaves are turning yellow something is very wrong with it. As yellow leaves are caused by so many things it is difficult to be very accurate but I can perhaps  help you to make a more accurate diagnosis.
First make sure that it isn't dying. Scratch with your fingernail, canes from top to bottom and see if it is green. If it is then the problem isn't severe and it could be that a late spring frost (if you get them) has killed the new growth that was starting to form. Too much rain water and not enough water, both cause yellow leaves. Also, are the yellow leaves coming from the top or the bottom or are they generally distributed through out the whole rose plant. Coming from the bottom is usually due to soil conditions such as too acid, too much fertilizer salts etc. If the rose is lacking in a chemical then it shows up on the leaves as a green pattern along the central veins or reddish green on the leaf edges.
Last of all insects can cause yellowing leaves. The two main ones are spider mites and white flies as both suck the leaves until they die and turn yellow. If there are many tiny webs then it is spider mites. If you brush the rose and a cloud of tiny white flies fly up, then it will be white flies.
Finally if the rose is fairly new it could have been damaged before you got it and now after a time period has slowly died.
The last bit of information that I can think for you is that American Pillar does not like hot roots and this will kill it. Seems strange as it does so well in Texas.
If this doesn't help then write me again and give me more information and we will take it from there.

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QUESTION: More history. The two roses first planted in Jack County, TX. Three years they stayed alive, but didn't grow. Moved them to Tarrant County, TX. In one year were amazing, growing to 80' combined. Stayed green most of winter. After new growth started, leaves started turning yellow.Still has 40-50% new growth, but rest is yellow. Not possible they were damaged plants. I dug them myself from my Granddad's yard in Hewins, KS where they have grown for 100 years. From this, do you have anymore ideas?

Answer
The American Pillars they are selling to-day do not have the same good characteristics as the older ones. I have a very old American Pillar and it is very vigorous and disease free plus it has larger and more attractive flowers on it. That said yours will be very healthy and survive better than the more modern American Pillars.  Because of the age, yours should survive anything. But on the whole roses really do not like to be moved and usually re-act in some way or other. I honestly don't think yours are dying as yellow leaves can be a re-action to being moved. If you are really concerned, then I would take some cuttings and root them just to be on the safe side. I would also prune back your climbers so the roots will not have as much to nourish. It is the roots that are complaining and I suspect there is too much on top for them to sustain with nutrients so cutting back is a wisdom. Also these climbers like cool, damp roots and spreading any type of much all around the base does help the roots to grow and do their job better. It will be interesting to see how they do this summer.