she ties small bundles of the fibres at their centres to the 
cord so that both ends hang down (text fig. 1). Each 
knot may be tied with from three to about fifteen fibres, 
but the number is relatively constant for each broom. 
When many fibres are used, the knots are large, giving 
the completed product a knobby aspect at the top. It is 
unlikely that the life of the broom is different with either 
method, since both types of broom contain an equal 
number of fibres; possibly the size of bundle used for 
knotting caters to various aesthetic values of the consu- 
mers. Certainly knotting with large bundles is a more 
rapid method. Because some brooms are knotted with 
small bundles of fibres, it may be that aesthetic considera- 
tions are of more importance in this area than is economy 
of time. 
The fibres are tied closely along the cord for a distance 
of about one and a half meters, and when finished look 
like a grass skirt about twenty-five centimeters long. 
Untied from the porch railing, this ‘‘skirt’’ is rolled 
spirally on the end of a stick and securely bound. A few 
fibres which are too long are then trimmed off the end 
with a machete. 
When the broom is made for home consumption it is 
immediately provided with a handle. When it is to be 
sent to urban centers, however, it is rolled into a bundle 
without a handle, for the consumer simply unrolls a worn 
out ‘‘skirt’’ from his old broomstick and replaces it with 
the new one. 
[ 185 ] 
