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142 Woodcraft Birch Bark Roll women get a black effect with Martynia pods; a deep brown with the stem of the Maiden Hair fern; a bright red in the use the roots of a yucca. These, added to the wood color of different plants, produce a pleasing variety.” White grass may be dyed brown with an extract of alder bark, as do the Shastas. “Among the Cahuillas, the only colors used are black, brown, yellow, and white. The white, yellow, and brown are colors natural to the growth, and are neither bleached -nor dyed. The black is made by taking a pot full of mud from the sulphur springs that abound on the reservation, and boiling it, stirring the mud and water together. As the mud settles, the liquid is poured off ; and, while hot, is used to color the splints. Two or three soakings are necessary to give a fast and perfect color. “The brown is the natural color of the tule root. The outer coating is peeled off into splints never longer than Io inches, but generally nearer 6 or 7. It is a common sight to find skeins of this basket-making material in the four differ- ent colors ; and now and again, one may see the patient woman peeling off the cuticle of the tule root, stripping the skunk weed, boiling the black mud, or soaking the skunk weed strips in the black dye.” IL Basket Making IVE3 By E. A. Laport I. A. Laport, of the Bald Eagle Tribe of Camp Belknap, writes: "There are many baskets, varying widely in pattern and material, which conform to the requirements for winning a handicraft coup for Basketry. But one particularly novel way to make a very strong, serviceable and artistic basket will be described. It is not so much the actual basket itself as the preparation of the material that is interesting. “Brown, red, or river ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) is the first requirement. Be sure it is brown or swamp ash, be- cause nothing else will do. A tree about 3 inches in diam- eter at the base is about right. One tree of this size will furnish enough material for several baskets. Next, select the part free from knots, cut out the necessary length (and this will depend on the size of basket you desire) and peel the bark off. Third, cut a short piece, say 18 inches long and 3