1878. ] Plants Used by Indians of the United States. 647 3 
one hand, the Indian female with a long, wide, wooden imple- 
ment in the other hand, beats it into place. This tool resembles 
a carving-knife, but is much larger and longer. One edge is thin, 
and in this is made a number of teeth or notches not so sharp as 
to cut. 
This plant so fibrous, and so abundant on land utterly worth- 
less for the growth of anything more valuable, can be had for the 
gathering; and as paper materials are scarce, either alone or 
mixed with straw, would be valuable in the manufacture of that 
article, 
Y. brevifolia—The leaves of this plant are short, and not 
useful for Indian purposes, but it produces abundance of large 
seeds which contain much nutrition; they are ground fine, and 
either eaten raw or cooked in the form of mush by Southern Cali- 
fornia Indians. Vast tracts are covered with it, which assume a 
forest-like appearance about the Mojave river, Southern Cali- 
fornia, having trunks from ten inches to two feet in diameter, and 
twenty-five feet high, with numerous branches. Not only is the 
leaf fibrous, but the body is more so. As raw material for paper 
it is excellent. 
Y. whipplei—tThis plant in bloom is one of the finest garden 
ornaments, very common over most parts of California. The 
young flowering stems while in their tender condition, are 
eaten either raw or roasted by the Indians. The seeds are 
gathered, ground into flour, and eaten. The leaves yield a 
very soft white fibre which is capable of being made into very 
nice thread. Indians use this fibre to form a padding to their 
horse blankets, the outer part of which being made of the fibre 
from the Yucca baccata is very rough. A wooden needle is 
threaded with twine made from the same fibre, and the lining is 
firmly quilted to the saddle blanket forming a soft covering with- 
out which it would injure the animal’s back. 
Y. angustifolia, a very common plant in Utah and Arizona; 
the leaves yield the softest fibre of all the Yuccas ; and, like all of 
them, is adapted to manufacturing purposes, especially for paper. 
The young flowering stems are used by Indians after the manner 
of asparagus ; the same may be said of all the Agaves and Yuccas. 
They are eaten cooked or raw, and are not to be despised. The 
root is used after being pounded up as a substitute for soap. a 
Agave utahense—The Pah-Utes strip the leaves from the heart 
