When given an interger (which, yes, I probably need to check against), I create that many DIVs filled with FIELDSETs full of input stuff.

qc.js

// --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- 
// function to dynamically create a large number of sample fields
// --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- 
function create_new_samples ( n ) {
    for ( var i = 1 ; i <= n ; i++ ) {
        $( '<div\>')
            .attr( 'id' , 'div_' + i )
            .appendTo( '#sample_dump' )
            .append(
                $( '<fieldset/>' )
                    .text( i )
                    .addClass( 'number' )
                )
            .append(
                $( '<fieldset/>' )
                    .addClass( 'library_name' )
                    .append(
                        $( '<legend/>' )
                            .text( 'Library Name' )
                        )
                    .append(
                        $( '<input type="text"/>' )
                            .attr( 'id' , 'library_name_' + i )
                            .attr( 'name' , 'library_name_' + i )
                        )
                )
            .append(
                $( '<fieldset/>' )
                    .addClass( 'species' )
                    .append(
                        $( '<legend/>' )
                            .text( 'Species' )
                        )
                    .append(
                        $( '<input type="text"/>' )
                            .attr( 'id' , 'species_' + i )
                            .attr( 'name' , 'species_' + i )
                        )
                   )
            .append(
                $( '<fieldset/>' )
                    .addClass( 'sample_type' )
                    .append(
                        $( '<legend/>' )
                            .text( 'Sample Type' )
                        )
                    .append(
                        $( '<select/>' )
                            .attr( 'id' , 'sample_type_' + i )
                            .attr( 'name' , 'sample_type_' + i )
                            .append(
                                $( '<option/>' )
                                    .val( 'dna' )
                                    .text( 'DNA' )
                                )
                            .append(
                                $( '<option/>' )
                                    .val( 'rna' )
                                    .text( 'RNA' )
                                )
                        )
                )
            .append(
                $( '<fieldset/>' )
                    .addClass( 'notes' )
                    .append(
                        $( '<legend/>' )
                            .text( 'Notes' )
                        )
                    .append(
                        $( '<input type="text"/>' )
                            .attr( 'id' , 'notes_' + i )
                            .attr( 'name' , 'notes_' + i )
                        )
                )
            .append(
                $( '<fieldset/>' )
                    .addClass( 'control' )
                    .append(
                        $( '<legend/>' )
                            .text( 'Control?' )
                        )
                    .append(
                        $( '<select/>' )
                            .attr( 'id' , 'control_' + i )
                            .attr( 'name' , 'control_' + i )
                            .append(
                                $( '<option/>' )
                                    .val( 'yes' )
                                    .text( 'yes' )
                                )
                            .append(
                                $( '<option/>' )
                                    .val( 'no' )
                                    .text( 'no' )
                                    .attr( 'selected' , 'selected' )
                                )
                        )
                )
            ;
        }
    }