THE FIBER PRODUCTS OF THE FARM 163 



oughly. Thereafter, at any time after soaking in water, the 

 soft inner strands separate readily. Another fiber of unique 

 sort is found in the skeleton cords of the rootstock of bracken 

 fern. These may be separated from freshly dug rhizomes, by 

 breaking with a hammer and stripping the cords clean. 



The program of work for this study may consist of : 



1 . An examination of the fibers used in the nest-building 

 of birds and animals. 



' 2 . An examination of the fiber products collected and 

 prepared from native plants and animals, and comparisons 

 with the fibers that are used in staple commercial products, 

 such as ropes, yarns and twines. The actual use of some of 

 these fiber products in spinning and weaving may be demon- 

 strated, preferably with the simplest forms of apparatus, 

 and products made therefrom may be shown. 



The record of this study may consist of: 



1 . Notes on the kinds and character, and diagrams of the 

 use, of fibers used by birds and animals in nest-building. 

 Each species of bird or animal should be treated separately. 



2. An annotated list of all the native fibers studied. The 

 notes should state the source and nature of the fibers, their 

 length, strength and other qualities, their uses and limita- 

 tions, etc. 



Another study on the coarse unspun materials for Plaiting, 

 Mat-making and Basketry, may be made on similar lines, with 

 similar lists of materials for its record. The things needed 

 for this will be splints, withes, rods, reeds, sweet-grass, 

 rushes, corn-husks, quills, thongs, etc. Suggestions may be 

 had from the study of nests of birds and animals, and of the 

 primitive products of the Indians of our own region. On 

 the latter, The Handbook of North American Indians edited 

 by Dr. F. W. Hodge {Bull. 30, Bureau of Amer. Ethnology, 

 2 vols. Washington, 1912) is a mine of information. 



