FOREWARD

The Tomato Genetics Cooperative is a group of workers who have a common interest in tomato genetics, and wno are organized informally for the purpose of exchanging information and stocks. Participation is voluntary, and costs of activities are met by assessments to members. The first activity of the Cooperative has materialized in the issuing of this Report.

The number of workers who have expressed an interest by their desire to join the group and the number of research articles contributed on relatively short notice leaves little doubt that interest in this Cooperative is strong and that it might prove useful in stimulating greater cooperation among workers and in otherwise advancing research in tomato genetics.

The possibility that articles in the TGC Records might be cited as references raises several important and related questions. Since the reports will have a limited distribution, should articles in them be cited. If they can be cited and if permission for citations is usually granted, are permission and the caution against the use of articles really necessary? How widely should the report be distributed? Correspondence with several members has helped in clarifying the nature of some of these problems. It seems unlikely that all of the problems will be settled to everyone's satisfaction. At least we hope that the service that the Report might render will favorably overbalance problems that it might create. The policy that is finally adopted should be based on the majority desire of the members gleaned through correspondence. Ideas will always be welcome, and the call for articles (probably in October) for the next issue will invite more discussion.

Since a policy of some sort had to be stated in this first Report, the following was arbitrarily adopted. This Report is issued primarily for the use of the members of the Tomato Genetics Cooperative. None of the information in the Report may be used in publications without the consent of the respective authors.

Although it is felt that most of the interested workers at present will receive the reports, others might need to refer to them in the future. In an attempt to meet the problem of distribution, many extra copies have been mimeographed and will be stored with the stencils at Davis for future needs. Librarian R. R. Shaw has kindly consented to file two copies in the U. S. Department of Agriculture Library from which photoprints can be secured. The same arrangement will be made with the Agriculture Library of the University of California (Berkeley).

The help of many people in preparing the Report is Gratefully acknowledged. Mrs. Mildred Stearns typed the stenciles. Dora Hunt, Martha Rick, and Shigoyoshi Hayashi helped in other phases of the work.

                          Charles M. Rick
                          Division of Truck Crops
                          University of California
                          Davis, California
Coordinating Committee

          C. F. Andrus
          D. W. Barton
          W. H. Frazier
          H. M. Munger