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43 and f i r i n g them i n k i l n s e r e c t e d i n t h e n e ig h b o rh o o d b r i c k ­ yards (F la n d e rs , 1 5 6 -1 5 7 ). Though th e knowledge o f t h i s m a n u f a c tu r in g p r o c e s s was g e n e r a l l y s h a r e d i n common, th e work, a s among A nglo-A m ericans g e n e r a l l y , was done f u l l tim e by a few masons o r b r i c k tra d e sm e n who o p e r a t e d th e b r i c k ­ yard s, The methods o f making adobe o r unburned b r i c k , how­ e v e r, a re not i d e n t i c a l to th o se used fo r p re p a rin g b r ic k fo r th e k i l n . Even th e most s k i l l e d b r i c k m a n u f a c tu r e r would not be s u c c e s s f u l a t making d u r a b le adobe w ith o u t a d v ic e on how t o mix t h e m a t e r i a l s , what s i z e s adobe s h o u ld be f o r a s p e c if ic s iz e of b u ild in g , or what methods were t o be used t o s e t t h e mud b r i c k o u t f o r sun d r y i n g . I t seems l i k e l y , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t a group o f s e t t l e r s even i n d i r e need c o u ld n o t o r would n o t make a sudden c o n v e r s io n from th e making o f f i r e d b r i c k t o making adobe w i t h o u t f i r s t a c q u i r i n g some knowledge o f t h e te c h n i q u e s in v o lv e d from a n e ig h b o r in g c u l ­ tu re . C u l t u r a l d i f f u s i o n — t h e b o rro w in g o f i d e a s from n e i g h b o r s — i s b e l i e v e d t o be a more im p o r ta n t c a u s e of c u l t u r e change t h a n in d e p e n d e n t i n v e n t i o n . The r e a s o n s f o r a c c e p ta n c e o f new b u i l d i n g m ethods a r e r e l e v a n t h e r e i n view o f t h e Mormons' a p p a r e n t l y r a p i d con­ v e r s i o n from th e use o f lo g and f i r e d b r i c k t o t h e u se of ad ob e; in d e e d , w i t h i n one week a f t e r th e f i r s t p i o n e e r s e n t e r e d t h e S a l t Lake V a lle y th e y w ere making l a r g e q u a n t i t i e s o f s u n - d r i e d b r i c k , a p p a r e n t l y f o r t h e f i r s t tim e . Was t h i s change a s im p le one based m e re ly on a d e c i s i o n t o d ry t h e i r b r i c k s i n t h e sun i n th e a b se n c e o f a k i l n ? I f s o , one m ight Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.