AmDecU?i87h8a.rm'}         Plants  Used  by  the  Indians.  587 
The  Diegeno  Indians  of  Southern  California  have  brought  the  uses  of  this  plant 
to  notice  by  the  various  articles  they  make  from  its  fibres,  and  sell  to  white  settlers,. 
In  preparing  a  warp  for  the  manufacture  of  saddle  blankets,  it  is  first  loosely 
twisted,  then  when  wanted  it  receives  a  firmer  twist.  If  the  blanket  is  to  be  orna- 
mented, a  part  of  the  warp  during  the  first  process  is  dyed  a  claret  brown,  oak  baric 
being  used  for  that  purpose.  The  loom  in  use  among  the  Indians  of  to  day  is  orig- 
inal with  themselves,  and  not  borrowed,  as  some  suppose,  from  the  Spaniards.  It 
is  a  simple  affair,  consisting  of  two  round,  strong,  short  poles,  one  suspended  and 
the  other  fastened  to  the  ground.  Upon  these  is  arranged  the  warp.  Two  long 
wooden  needles  with  eyes  are  threaded  with  the  filling  which  is  more  loosely  twisted 
than  the  warp,  in  order  to  give  substance  or  body  to  the  blanket.  Each  time  that 
the  filling  is  thrust  between  the  threads  of  the  warp  by  one  hand,  the  Indian  female 
with  a  a  long,  wide,  wooden  implement  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  worthless  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.  brecvifolia. — The  leaves  of  this  plant  are  short,  and  not  useful  for  Indian  pur- 
poses, 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 
California  Indians.  Vast  tracts  are  covered  with  it,  which  assume  a  forest-like 
appearance  about  the  Mojave  river,  Southern  California,  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. — This  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  either  eaten  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,  without  which  it  would  injure  the  animal's  back,- 
T.  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  hot  to  be  despised.  The  root  is  used,  after 
being  pounded  up,  as  a  substitute  for  soap. 
Agave  utabense. — The  Pah-Utes  strip  the  leaves  from  the  heart  of  the  plants  of 
this  species,  then  heat  stones,  upon  which  the  hearts  are  laid  ;  the  youngest  leaves- 
are  next  placed  on,  then  weeds  or  grass,  and  finally  a  coating  of  earth  over  all.  Thi* 
