8 The Journal 
wide range of conditions. In the past 
experiments have largely dealt with 
modifications, and the conclusion 
reached that little or no advance could 
be expected from the selection of 
vegetative variations. There is cer- 
tainly good evidence accumulating, as 
the work of Shamel shows, that among 
citrus fruits, at least, distinct advance 
is being made in plant improvement 
through bud selection alone. This is 
no doubt a case in which true segregates 
or mutants have been utilized and, if so, 
they can be expected to remain con- 
stant under a wide range of conditions. 
There is a broad field for work on the 
genetics of bud-variations, and when 
their nature is better understood and 
the lines of discrimination more clearly 
drawn between the several classes, more 
of Heredity 
rapid advance in their utilization may be 
expected. It seems likely that many of 
the laws pertaining to the perpetuation 
of fluctuations among seminally pro- 
pagated pure lines will apply with equal 
force to vegetative fluctuations in a 
clonal variety. If so, a study of the 
one may well be taken into considera- 
tion in connection with a study of the 
other in any attempt to arrive at the 
fundamentals underlying either. And, 
as suggested previously, it seems en- 
tirely possible that a closer study of’ 
the cases of vegative segregations and 
mutations, as they come to hand, will 
aid materially in the advancement of 
knowledge concerning the nature of 
variation in general and the discovery 
of the principles underlying it. 
Alaskan Berry Hybrids 
At the Sitka Experiment Station in Alaska a strain of hardy strawberries is in 
the making, the result of crosses between the native of the Alaskan coast region 
and cultivated varieties. Several thousand seedlings have been grown, all very 
vigorous and most of them productive and of high quality. The native variety 
of the interior of Alaska is now to be used in similar crosses. 
The Cuthbert raspberry has been crossed with its relatives the native Salmon- 
berry (Rubus spectabilis Pursh.) and the Thimbleberry (R. parviflorus Nutt.). 
The only interesting fact so far developed is that the hybrids of the two species 
first named are almost entirely sterile. 
Report of Committee on Nomenclature 
In order to determine whether any one of the three nouns, geneticist, genetist, 
and genetician, should be adopted to designate students of genetics, the under- 
signed committee on nomenclature of the American Genetic Association has got 
the opinion of a dozen of the leading philologists of the country. It finds that the 
form geneticist, which is most widely current, is favored by most of the philologists 
as being formed in accordance with the best usage. The form genetist, which has 
some currency, gets very little support from good etymological usage. The term 
genetician, although a hybrid, can be supported by abundant analogy; it has 
however, little or no currency at present. 
Under these circumstances, the members of this committee unanimously 
intend to adhere to the form geneticist for their own personal use; it will also be 
used in all official communications of this association. 
The committee realizes that usage cannot be arbitrarily established by fiat. 
Believing, however, that uniformity in this matter is desirable, it takes this oppor- 
tunity to call the attention of all who are concerned with genetics to the fact that 
the term geneticist is worthy of general adoption, in the interests of uniformity and 
correct etymological practice. 
(Signed) Herbert J. Webber, R. Ruggles Gates, George H. Shull, W. E. Castle, 
Raymond Pearl, Paul Popenoe. 
