14 



rope. Pandans (screw pines), rattan, sedges, or grasses 

 can be used, and for all ordinary purposes bamboo will be 

 found serviceable in many branches of industrial work. As 

 time goes on, more and more raw material will be found 

 well adapted for Philippine industrial needs. 



In using the various plant fibers, it should be remembered 

 that they are more or less hygroscopic — that is, they will 

 often shrink or expand according to the amount of moisture 

 in the atmosphere. If it is desired to do a high grade of 

 work with fine straws of various kinds it is generally very 

 essential that they be worked at a time when there is the 

 most moisture in the air, which would be mornings, evenings, 

 or on rainy or cloudy days. It may be stated that, as a rule, 

 the more moist a fiber is, the more pliable it is; the drier, 

 the more brittle. It is equally true that the finer the fiber, 

 the more it seems to be affected by atmospheric conditions. 



In basketry, most of the raw materials found in the Phil- 

 ippines require no artificial dyes to enhance the beauty of 

 their natural colors. Jet-black, brown, white, yellow, and 

 green of various tones are easily obtainable by proper 

 manipulation of the material. 



The attempt is sometimes made to obtain industrial fiber 

 plants from a far-distant province in the erroneous belief 

 that such material is very superior. In many instances 

 just as good or better material can be obtained in the im- 

 mediate vicinity. In general, schools should work with 

 the industrial material they find in their own district or 

 province. If sufficient effort is made, such can usually be 

 found, though it may be harder in some localities than in 

 others. Industrial supervisors from the General Office have 

 gone to districts where it was alleged that little or no 

 industrial material existed and found material of one kind 

 or another in plenty, which had not been previously recog- 

 nized locally. 



The use of foreign fabrics in the finishing of articles 

 from Philippine fibers should be avoided whenever possible. 

 For example, there is little need for velvet edges on buri 

 raffia cushions and mats, or for velvet straps on abaca 

 slippers, or for colored yarn on cheap sedge slippers. The 



