518 XEW JERSEY AGEICULTUEAL COLLEGE 



with wide spaces between the strips, where they can be readily turned 

 until fully dry. They are readily stored in the same bags in the tin 

 boxes arranged in pigeon-hole cases. 



The finer mesh of mosquito netting has been used for the drying 

 of eggplant seed, which otherwise is easily blown away or might 

 become mixed with other crosses. 



In the harvest of small quantities of beans the seeds are beaten 

 out with a short stick upon a sail cloth, from whicJi the seeds are 

 gathered and placed in mosquito netting bags and hung by the wire 

 label to horizontal wires. Lima beans in the small quantities are, 

 after drying in the mosquito netting bags of large mesh, placed in 

 gunny sacks and beaten as the other beans, without the danger of loss 

 or mixing by flying as when uncovered. 



The method of securing and preserving the tomato seed is as fol- 

 lows: The mature fruit, with the broken paper bag still perhaps 

 half surrounding it and making the "crossed fruit" easily found, has 

 its thoroughly washed seeds spread upon a sheet of paper, eight and 

 one-half by eleven inches in dimensions, to which the contents of the 

 label are transcribed and any other desired notes. Where the case 

 seems to demand it the fruit, when cut in halves, is outlined upon the 

 sheet with a sketch in detail of the interior structure. The natural 

 mucilage of the seeds causes them to adhere securely to the sheet, 

 which can be pinned with those of its own "family" and kept in tin 

 boxes out of reach of mice. At planting time each sheet to be used 

 is turned bottom side up and given a sharp snap to insure the removal 

 of any seed that might possibly have become detached and got out of 

 place. The removal of the seeds from the sheet for planting is a 

 partial record of the fact through the "scars" that are left upon the 

 paper. However, the pencil is needed to add the date, number of seeds 

 removed, etc. 



NOTES UPON THE KEEPINO OF RECORDS. 



The question frequently arises as to the possibility of keeping the 

 progress of breeding experiments closely in hand, so that the one in 

 charge may at a glance know the history of the plants he is dealing 

 with then and there. It is doubtless true that the perfect system 

 of making records is still to be formulated, and as yet, in a measure, 

 each breeder is working upon somewhat independent lines that, while 

 necessarily agreeing in essentials, vary greatly in details. 



