The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-05-16
IBristles.

In the interminable forests of north
ern MuscOvy, where, for thousands OF
square miles, the country abounds in
oaks and beeches, birch trees and lar
ches, while the ground is literally cov-
cred with cones, acOrns, and berries, the
swine-herds tend their half-wild ami
mails, that swarm in almost incredible
numbers, driving them to water and
feed. Yet not all these swine are valu-
able for their covering; the perfect
bristle is found only upon a special
race, and that, too, fattened in a certain
way. On the frontiers of civilization,
all over the Muscovite territory, are
large government tallOw factories,
where cattle, reared too far from the
habitations 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 is a long, spare ami
NAL, while the thinner the hog the lar
ger and sitter the bristles. Those rus
tic pigs which approach nearest to their
savage parent, the wild boar, yield the
best bristles. The finest are those taken
from the dOrsal spine of the animal.
When the Russian hog is sent to the
south and fattened, the bristles become
soft, and of course, deprecated in
value. In parts of that country, during
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 them
selves against the trees. The bristles
are then collected, sewed up 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 $l.25
per pound, while the average amount
annually exported reaches 4,109,-
040 pounds, Of the value of about So
100000. England also receives many
bristles from Germany, France and
Belgium, as well as small quantities Of
inferior lots from China. Russian
bristles vary in value from 27 cents to
1925 per pound, while the range of the
German product is from 20 cents to ST.
SS per pound. Germany supplies $780,
600 to $S, 100000 worth of bristles an
nually for export.
France supplies commerce with a
large quantity OF bristles, nearly 2,OOO,-
600 pounds from her native swine, or
an average of $50 grammes az pouDds)
from each pig; this includes the bris-
ties obtained by plucking and scalding
hogs in Midi, Brittany and La Cham
payne, the total value being estimated
at about 100000 francs, or $500, 900.
French Bristles, whether produced in
France or only cleansed there, bear the
highest reputation in the market. They
are white as wool, soft as an infants
hair, firm to the touch, yet exceeding
ly elastic. From such as these are
made the brushes of the artist, and the
pencils of the artist, and the pencils of
the skilled painter and decorator.
Bristles arrive in the markets in
casks; they are tied in bundles and
packed with care. Length, elasticity,
firmness and color are the elements of
excellence; the expert in bristles Sc
lects those of six inches in length to
make up his class; above seven will
not do; the nine and ten-inCh bristles
lack toughness. AS regards color, dark
bristles 90 into one class, the brown to
second, and the white to third.
Bristles may be bleached by remaining
two or three days in saturated solu-
ton of sulphurous acid in water; most
kinds can be bleached by merely moist
ening them and exposing them to the
air, or by moistening them
with very dilute sulphuric acid and ex-
posing them to the sun.