Membership in the TGC showed its customary increase during 1955; eleven workers did not renew their membership, but this drop vas more than counterbalanced by new memberships, so that total enrollmnt increased from 171 for the previous year to 179 as of December 31, 1955, including 69 members in 29 countries. This number does not correspond with the 186 members listed in Part II of this Report since the latter includes seven additional members who joined since the first of the year.
We held our own financially as Part V indicates. We started 1955 with a balance of $118.48 and ended with $116.29. An unexpected expense encountered in 1955 was the high mailing cost for TGC 5. Since the weight of this issue exceeded the limit for third class mail, we were obliged to find the least expensive alternative to first class or parcel post rates -- namely, splitting the Reports, and mailing each half separately at third class rates. Having learned our lesson we have decided to multilith both sides of each sheet, as a measure to reduce mailing weight of future issues.
Our experience during the past year has underscored more than ever the need for coordinating efforts in tomato genetics. Several situations arose in which two workers reported essentially identical results from two identical research projects. In some instances such duplication is unavoidable, but we would like to stress that the earliest possible cooperative effort should be made once the duplication is discovered. Efforts can be pooled and the results summarized in joint publications to great mutual advantage. We continue to hope that members will make fullest use of TGC Research Notes to apprise each other of their respective projects in progress in order that duplication of effort be redaced to a minimum and that a cooperative approach be undertaken where appropriate, in addition to the main objective of the Notes -- namely, to present information of general interest and to assist other members.
Unnecessary problems have also arisen in respect to selection of names and symbols for new mutant genes. With the gene list growing at its present pace, the chances will become much greater for duplicating symbols already in use. For this and other reasons proposed symbols should be indicated in Research Notes or otherwise submitted to the Coorinating Committee before publication in formal journals.
In addition to its regular activities, the TGC engaged in the following projects during the past year:
1. Reports of the coomittees on nomenclature and gene list were published in the Journal of Heredity 46:22-26.
2. The statement concerning the nature and functions of the TGC was revised and issued in October. This statement, a copy of which accompanied the fall newsletter has proved extremely helpful in many ways, including answers to the many letters received inquiring about the TGC.
3. The coordinating Committee is organizing and sponsoring a cooperative effort on tomato linkage groups. A report on this activity is presented on the next page.
Dr. D. W. Barton requested early in the year that he be relieved of the position that he held on the Coordinating Committee since the TGC was organized. Don, who with Allan Burdick founded our group, contributed much effort to its establisiment and functioning. His resignation was accepted with relluctance. At the recommendation of many members, Dr. G. B. Reynard was appointed to replace him and to represent the Northeastern region.
Three hundred copies of the present Report have been prepared.
The preparation of this Report reflects the efforts of many willing workers, to whom we are greatly indebted. Carl Clayberg, Rafael Frankel, Dora Hunt, David Pratt, and Lois Montgomery prepared the covers and helped in many other phases of the work. Virginia Borelli typed the stencils.
Coordinating Committee
W. S. Barham C. M. Rick, Chairman
A. B. Burdick Department of Vegetable Crops
L. Butler University of California
G. B. Reynard Davis, California