Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-05
GRASS FOR BASKETS
WEAVERS WHO MAKE STUDY OF
AGRAsToLoGY.
Rushes and Sedges Used In the Work
Art Of Obtaining Fast
Colors.

ioAh carly spring uHlll ldil IUeIe is a
steady procession Of grasses. different
varieties springing up and others disappear
Ing as the season advances. There are
about four thousand grasses. When the
basket weaver has learned to discern
among them the sorts suited to her pur-
poses and the period when they are at their
best, she has taken a long step IN her
training. Students who will be found this
summer exploring swamps, meadows and
beaches will tie their finds into small
punches and label them with data as to the
time gathered and the soil and place from
which they are taken Some grasses should
be cut while they are in seed, and others
when ripe. The basket maker soon learns
that II certain grasses gathered too
early they are brittle and too easily broken
al the nodes.
Grasses and Sedges.
The principal materials are grasses.
PUSHES, sedges and fine inner corn husks A
few imported materials, such as raffia and
palm leaf, are also employed when their
colors and qualities are wanted. The bas-
ket maker must learn to recognize adapta-
\bn1ty in her materials and weaves Among
the different kinds she will find fiat and
round, strong and weak, coarse and fine.
In grasses and rushes some are pliable from
end to end, and others have knots and
nodes If they are used rightly every &C.
cehtricity may serve to emphasize the
makers expression of beauty in weave and
deSiSn. Stalks of certain grasses are more
useful without the inconspcuous leaves
and others give better results if the leaves
are retained
No dyes are used In the baskets, although
there are found hues that glow and CLEAN
In a wealth of variety and tone. To obtain
these colors has required long study and
experiment, and the end of the investtga ton
Is not yet. To get beautiful colors was
simple enough, but to obtain permanency
of hue was another problem, and since the
work is yet in its early stages there is
still much to learn. Baskets, however made
Tour years ago have lost nothing of their
wonderful sunshine glow nor their exquisite
tones of pinks. red, purpes greens. yellows
and ivory white Some of the baskets
which have thus retained their charm have
been scrubbed with soap and water from
dust and soil.
Color and Texture
Many of the best materials are found In
sandy soil Beach grass has a beautiful
light green shade and lustrous quality
which makes it extremely desirable and
one of the choicest for color. This grass
has broad leaf. which, upon gathering
Withers into a fine, strong wire, which can
be adapted to any 1t is al It's best In
August and September. The common salt
hay. which comes packed around southern
vegetables, is nice and smooth and of a
golden brown hue. Tall grass Is not so
available as the short varieties Fine grass
as rule is the most useful. Stalks are
more often employed than leaves. The
leaves are apt to be duler in color than
the stalks.
One Of the first characteristics to attract
the attention of strangers to the baskets is
the remarkable dashes of sunshine In their
designs. They are obtained by cleaning,
glistening yellows. A useful material for
this purpose is the Kentucky blue grass,
which is used so extensively throughout
the country for lawns, and which Is beau
tifully fine in texture and golden in hue
1t is at its best in July. Rye and oat
straws when they are ripe and the fine,
inner husks of dry corn husks also give ex-
QuiSite yellows.
Browns and Reds.
Lovely browns are to be had from a grass
that comes up the last of August and that
has little feathery plumes 1t is ready to
gather in November, but grass of this sort
left standing from the previous year and
cut In July contributes strong fiber and
rich color. The grass that is familiar to
every one because Of its pink golden brown
In the meadows through the winter Is used
for the inner coils, over which to place the
outer covering of finer. grass. This grass
is to be had in great quantities. but If 1t is
gathered too early 1t will be brittle. 1t Is
one of the glossiest of the grasses and has
a great variety Of t1nts.
Reds are found mostly in the fall A
prolific source Is the base of the flag leaves
in October. Both ivory white and pink are
obtained from the reeds Ivory white is
found, too, in the colorless stalk of grass
that bears little brown rice-like seeds like
the wild rice of the west. 1t Is ready for
gathering in November. Corn husks pro-
vide number of colors-dark red brilliant
pinks and puppies. pale green and deep.
dark yellows. A kind of dark red popcorn
is most fruitful source for some of the
richest tones. The sweet flag (calamus)
has silvery white leaf with a beautiful
brown lining. This produces alternating
blues of the white and brown