Eliza and Charles had to show him how the perfected blue-dyed yarn could be colored green by scalding in yellow dye made out of rabbit-brush blossoms or wild greasewood; black dye could be made from logwood and copperas vitriol; dark brown from the walnuts Brother Hamblin was raising in Santa Clara; olive green from the creosote leaves, and 'shit-brindle' from wild sage.