Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1878-02-14
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ABOUT BRlsTLEs.

After wool and silk, one of the MOST
important of the animal fbres is bris-
ties. The American product of bris-
ties is limited in Quantity and inferior
in quality, and as in England, most OF
the bristles are imported from other
sources of supply. At the large
slaughter houses in this country, such
bristleS only as are worth saving fOrthe
brush makers, say perhaps a double
handful from the back of each hog, are
selected for use.
From 1910 to 1854, the average guam
tlty of bristles imported into Great
Britain ranged from 1,553, 900 pounds
to 3,237 600 pounds, while since that
period the average quantity received
there has been about 1900, 900 pounds,
valued at over $4,000, 900, Russia alone
supplying 81 400, 900, while Siberia fur
nished over fifty per cent. of the latter
quantity. America and England hold
the monopoly i'll the trade in bristles,
yet neither furnishes large percentage
of the worlds supply of the raw mate
rial. The best br Stiles are produced by
pigs that inhabit dold countries. 1t is
upon Russia thai the whole world is
now mainly depe, Hent for this impor-
tant household III essity and valuable
article of commeSN
In the interminsble forests of north
ern Muscovy, whsre, for thousands of
square miles, the country aboumds in
oaks and beeches, birch trees and lar
ches, while the griund is literally COW
cred with cones, hcornS, and berries,
the Swine-herdS tend their haIf-Wild
animals, that swarm in almost incred-
ible numbers, driving them to water
and feed. Yet not all these swine are
valuable for their covering the perfect
bristle is found only upon a special
race, and that, too, fattened in a GER
tain way. On the frontiers of civili-
zation, all over the Muscovite territory.
are large government tallow factories.
where, cattle, reared too far from the
habltatlonS of men to be consumed for
human food, are boiled down for the
sake of their fat. Swine are fed on the
refuse of these tallow factories at GER
tain seasons, and it is from these ami
mails that the bristles of commerce are
mainly derived.
Russia has long been celebrated for
the quantity and quality of its bristles.
The Russian hog il a long, spare animal,
While the thinner the hog, the larger
and stiffer the briales. Those rustic
pigs which apprO;chs nearest to their
savage parent, the wild boar, yield the
best bristles II 1 s,,sss ~ trt t,, .noSe
taken from the dotassian hoo is sent to
NAL. When the hspnpd tbe 6ristles NO.
the south, and fat :,
come soft, and of iSe uepi ool".et III
value. IN narts of that country, dur
ing the Summer. the hogs are driven in
herds through the forest, to feed on soft
roots and similar food, when they shed
their bristles by rubbing themselves
against the trees. 8The bristles are then
collected, sewed u# in OK or horse hides
and sent to fairs for sale. whence they
find their way, through agents, to all
countries.
The largest quantity of Russian bris-
ties are obtained from the central gov
ernments, principally those of the
north. Those of Siberia and SarapOul,
in the government of Viatka, are noted
for furnishing the best. The average
price of these is 81 to 81. % per pound,
while the average amount annually ex-
ported reaches ia, ,440 pounds, or T.
l09,O40 pounds, of the value of about
S5,0O0,0OO. England also receives
many bristles from Germany, France