214 REPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1902. 



Yucca filamentosa. Silkgrass. 



The leaves of this plant were formerh" in use among the Indians of 

 North Carolina as a Vjasket material. (J. Lawton, 1714.) 



Yucca glauca. Plains Yucca. 



Mo^-hu (Moki). 



This plant is used in the basketry of the Moki Indians (W. Hough, 

 1902) of northern Arizona. In some of the coarser twilled baskets 

 the warp and weft are made up of the narrow unsplit leaves thinned 

 by the removal of a strip from the back. (('at. No. 213254, U.S.N.M.) 

 In the coiled plaques the sewing material consists of narrow strips split 

 from the leaves. The outer surface of the leaves gives various shades 

 of green and greenish yellow or, in the case of the young leaves, 

 white, or they are dyed in several colors. The d3^ed strips are often 

 applied with the inner, broken surface outward. This surface takes 

 the dye more readily and gi\es a deeper shade. For the use of the 

 shredded leaves as a packing material in the first few turns of the 

 spiral, see Ililaria jcmieml. 



III. BASKET MAKING 



The sallow knows the basket maker's thumb. — EMERSON. 



Under the head of basket making are included all the activities 

 involved in and fostered by construction, namely: 



1. Harvesting 'materials. — This embraces intimate acquaintance with 

 the places where just the right substances abound, knowledge of the 

 times when each element is ripe, methods of growing, harvesting, 

 and conveying involved, as well as the tools and apparatus used in 

 gathering. In their rough state much of the materials would be as 

 unfit for the use as quarry clay would be for the potter or crude ore 

 for the metallurgist. 



2. Preparing materials. — Frequenth' the raw materials ar«^ stored 

 away at the time of harvesting until rc(piired for maiuifacturo. Nature 

 makes the rules for gathering in her own good time. But this might 

 be the busy season, whereas this art may go on in difi'erent seasons. 

 When the time comes for their use special manipulations are neces- 

 sary, such as peeling, splitting, making splints, yarning or twisting, 

 twining, braiding, soaking, gauging, coloring. These should each be 

 noted carefulh' and described for the several basket areas. 



3. Processes of 'manufacture. — The materials Ijcing ready, the maker 

 seats herself in the midst and begins the technical operations that 

 should be minutel}' watched, and photographed, if possible. Collec- 

 tions should also be made of tools, apparatus, and patterns. 



Each of these will be examined with minute care, especially the 

 third. If this art is to be imitated and become a stimulus in technical 



