Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-09-29
THE PRODUCTION OF BRIsTLEs.
Interesting Statistics Concerning the
Trade---The German and Rus
sian Hog.

While the American hog can produce
more and better meat than the pauper
labor hog, of Europe, he can not COM
pete with the latter animal in the pro-
duction OF bristles. The American hog
IS grown for his meat and is confined in
a pen and scientifically fatted up. A
long course of breeding for this purpose
has caused the American hog to grow
lat mainly and to neglect the growth of
Drlstles. The European hog, ON the con-
trary, or more particularly the German
and Russian hog, is not confined in
pen and fed for fatness, but either
roams round through the streets of the
villages, seeking what he can devour,
or In large droyes through the fields and
forests, feeding on nuts and roots under
the care of swineherdS. The German,
Polish, and Russian hog has thus plenty
or exercise and is thin and muscular.
IheSe hogs are almost entirely without
fat and are not killed when young as
here. Their bristles grow long, stiff
and elastic, and of good color. The
American bristles are soft, have ten
dency to become kinky, and very few
are over four inches in length, and 10
per cent. are not over two and three
quarters inches. Eighty-five per cent.
OF them are gray, the most undesirable
color, the other ID per cent being white
German and Russian bristles run from
four to seven inches in length, and
some Of the latter run up to fourteen
inches.
The largest bristles are not by any
means the best. Excellent lengths are
five to six and a half inches, and the
value of a bristle depends as much upon
its color and elasticity as upon its
length. The German and Russian are
of the following colors, placing them in
the order of their value white, yellow,
black, and gray The French briStleS
are the best for fine yarnish and artistic
brushes. They are usually only three
or four inches in length, but are the
whitest and best dressed of all the bris-
ties. They are imported i'll dressed
state and not rough rs are the German
and Russian. The well-dreSsed French
briStleS are usually Is white as chalk,
with very soft ends, and are strong and
elastic, springing up under the touch
no matter how thickly charged with
color They are used in the finest brush
tools, embracing varnish brushes, fresco
brushes, the best sash brushes, the best
quality of shaving brushes, and the
largest brushes used by artists are made
of them. Hair and toilet brushes are
also made from them.
st. Petersburg, Russia, and LeipSic,
Germany, are the great bristle markets
of the world, the former being the
largest. The English get most of their
bristles from st. Petersburg, where
only Russian briStles are sold. The
Americans get most of theirs from
Leipsic, where both German and Rus
sian are sold, though the bulk is Rus
sian,. The Russian bristies sold III Leip-
SIC are these obtained frcm Poland
The bTiStles are pulled out OF the hogs
and brought to market. They are
brought principally in the spring Of the
year, the eastern fairs being the time
when most of them are brought to mar
ket and disposed of. The bristles are
dirty, and there is shrinkage of - to
% per cent. in weight to the consumer
after they have been Thoroughly washed
and cleaned. Russian and German
bristles are packed in casks, the guam
tity ranging from 80 to 500 pounds,
the casks not being of the same capac-
ity. Generally Il cask contains bristles !
of equal length, but many times of diff
ferent quallty and color. Each quality |
and color is put up in separate bundle |
and brush manufacturers sort them |
out. These German, Polish and Rus
sian brlstles sold in Germany run very |
irregular and require the greatest eau
ton and best judgement in buying.
They are in great variety of cOlorS
and qualities.