2
PNL Volume 18 1986 PREFACE & COVER
The financial report for the period 4/1/85-3/31/86:
Balance, 4/1/85
$1069.08
Dues collected
$1467.00
Financial
report
Expenditures
Postage
Publishing costs
Bank charges
Bookkeeping
Typing
Total expenditures
135.72
393.51
28.39
154.00
721.00
1632.62
Balance, 3/31/86
$ 903.46
G. A. Marx
for the Coordinating Committee:
S. Blixt
W. Gottschalk
E. Gritton
G.A. Marx
L. Monti
I. Murfet
B. Sharma
B. Snoad
*************************************
COVER
R. H. Lock, whose likeness is depicted on the cover, made
several important early contributions to the genetic literature
of Pisum. Born and educated in England, Dr. Lock spent his most
productive scientific years in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) at the
Royal Botanic Garden, Peradenyia. He died at an earlv age (36)
but not before be published about twenty papers (four of which
are relevant to pea genetics) and two books. His book, "Recent
Progress In the Study of Variation, Heredity and Evolution",
first published in 1906, endured through four editions. Because
he received his graduate training during those extraordinary days
when Mendel's work was rediscovered, and because he enjoyed the
confidence and encouragement of William Rateson, Lock undertook
to confirm and extend Mendel's findings. This he did with con-
summate success. His 1908 paper, "The present state of knowledge
of heredity in Pisum", summarises what was known about the sub-
ject at the time. Incidentally, many of the populations analyzed
by Lock came from crosses made by Batesou, thus emphasising the
close tie between these two pioneerinc workers. Tn his work with
peas Lock not only confirmed the work of Mendel but also
demonstrated the phenomenon of epistasis, added a number of new
genes to the original seven described by Mendel, and commented
upon the question of species and phylogenetic relationships.
Moreover, he was the first to use descriptive symbols for
Mendelian genes.
(The drawing was executed by Elaine Gotham from a photo found in
the archives of the John Innes Institute and kindly furnished by
Dr. Peter Matthews.)
******************** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PNI. Volume 18
1986
PREFACE
Membership
The Pisum Genetics Association (PGA) is a non-profit,
unincorporated organization established to facilitate the
exchange of information and to ensure the preservation of
valuable genetic stocks. The number of PGA members now
stands at 190.
Membership in the PGA is open to all interested persons.
Dues are $10.00 for two years (U.S. currency) and are used to
help defray the costs of publishing the Pisum Newsletter
(PNL). Members are encouraged to pay dues for two or more
years to simplify bookkeeping. Please make prime banker's
checks or International money orders payable to PISUM
GENETICS ASSOCIATION and send to G. A. Marx, Department of
Horticultural Sciences, New York State Agricultural
Experiment Station, Geneva, NY 14456 USA. The PNL will be
sent upon receipt of dues.
A word about our financial condition. We continue to
hang on, thanks to the recent increase in dues, to another
gift from the National Pea Improvement Association (NPIA),
and to member cooperation. The NPIA Increased its contribu-
tion from $2 50 per year to $300 and we are most grateful for
its continuing support. Our financial status Is such that we
cannot carry out our plans to reprint the volumes which are
now out-of-print; sheer survival must take priority.
Thanks to everyone for your concern and help.
Speaking of cooperation, I wish belatedly to take note
of a fine example of international cooperation which in
recent years has resulted in the availability of two books on
pea genetics and breeding written by Russian authors. The
books, "The Pea" by R. Kh. Makasheva (1973) and "Genetics and
Breeding of Peas" edited by V. V. Khvostova (1975), were
translated into English f rom the original Russian by Dr. B.
R. Sharma of India and the project was commissioned and
financed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The trans-
lated versions became available in 1983. I might add that
Dr. Sharma did an admirable job of translating the texts.
Also, we owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Jack P. Meiners,
formerly with the USDA and now retired, for making many of
the original arrangements that led to the final result. My
files Indicate that our correspondence concerning this
project began in 1977. Let us hope the lines of communica-
tion between scientists in all parts of the world will not
only continue but will expand.
We again extend our thanks to Mrs. Frances Van Kirk, our
clerk, treasurer, executive secretary, and all around fac-
totum for again doing all the things she has done so well in
years past.
This year, thanks to the generous cooperation of Mary
Lou Marx and Charlotte S. Pratt, we have endeavored to mini-
mize the number of typographical and other kinds of errors.
Each independently examined the entire volume line by line
prior to printing. We gratefully acknowledge their assistance
PGA
situation
update
Editorial
Bouquets