The following tips for seed savers were taken from a recent special edition of The Avant Gardener, a very informative monthly publication for gardeners (Box 489, New York, N.Y. 10028).

Beans: Common beans are mainly self-pollinating, but limas and runner beans are insect-pollinating and thus should be separated by at least a mile.

Corn: Wind pollinated; varieties need separation by at least a mile.

Cucumbers: Insect pollinated; varieties need separation by at least a half mile.

Melons: Except for watermelons, all melons will cross pollinate with one another, so separate varieties by at least half a mile.

Peppers: Separate varieties by at least 500 feet.

Squash: This is a confusing group that consists of several insect-pollinated species. Keep varieties of the same species isolated from each other by at least a mile.

Tomatoes: A favorite among beginning seed savers, the majority of tomato varieties are self-pollinating. To get the fullest range of genes from each variety, combine the seed of at least three plants.