News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-08-23
BRISTLE CULTURE.
How the HalfWild, Hogs OF Russia
are PIuoked of their Names.

81 saw it stated in a newspaper the
other day." said brush manufacturer,
"that most of the bristles used inbrush-
making In this country came from Eng
land, the natural inference being that
the bristles were the product of English
hogs. Such is not the case by any
means. English hogs do not grow
br1stles that brushmakers can use with
any profit or economy. Russian swine
provide nearly all of the bristles that
are used in the business, and they are
imported into this country from Eng
land. But there are not as many Rus
sian bristles used here as formerly, for
the greet Western hog market of our
own country supplies all that are neces-
sary for the commoner kind of brushes.
fThe best kind of bristles in the
world, except those supplied in limited
quantity by France, come from the vast
forests of northern Russia, those of the
Ukraine being superior to others of that
country. In no part of the world are
there such endless supplies of mast,
conal, berry, and acorn bearing trees.
Their area covers thousands of miles,
which are unbroken forests of oak, larch,
beech, pine, and other trees that bear
and drop the richest food for swine,
which swarm in the woods, in q hal
wild state, guarded and looked after by
herds as wild as the hogs themselves.
1t is not there, and in that state of saw
agery, that the hogs give up their
bristles to commerce, but from these
great droves the swine are selected for
the culture of the bristle crop, for the
hogs that are to furnish it are treated
and cared for with that end in view.
They are brought from northern wilds
and 'pastured' near the great tallow-fact-
cries of Russia. They are fed at certain
seasons on the refuse of the tallow fac
tories, which in q short time puts them
i'll fine condition. The bristle crop is
gathered in the summer time, after the
hogs have been fed for months on the
tallow refuse, and are enormously fat,
and in the desired condition for pluck
ing-for Russian bristles are not the
yield OF dead hogs, but are live like
live goose feathers. The swine are driv-
en- into enclosures until they are packed
like sardines in box, They plunge
and kick and squeal in their close quar-
tiers until they are heated to a feverish
condition of blood. That, together with
the condition of fairness they are in,
seems to loosen the roots of the bristles,
and the bristle pluckers pull them out
more easily than a woman can remove
feathers from goose. Apparently the
pulling out of the bristles is attended
with no pain wCatever to the hog.
When the hogs are all plucked they are
turned loose and are at liberty to run at
large in their pasture until they grow a
new crop of the material for which they
are kept, and the time arrives for tai
low-fattening them again for the next
plucking Bristles from hogs of North
ern Russia always hare at the roots
little tufts of soft wool, which nnder-ies
the roots in the hogs neck, it is suppos-
ed, for the purpose of protecting them
from the rigorous weather of that reg
ion.
France and Germany supply a small
but valuable share of the bristles used
i'll the trade. The German peasants
save every bristle that falls frem their
hogs, and their herds are watched care
fully, so that none of the valuable she'd
ding is lost. They do not pluck their
hogs alive, but when a pig is killed the
first thing done is to secure the bristles.
Collectors go about at regular intervals
purchasing the brlstle hoardin9s of the
peasants. Germany produces more
bristles than France, but those of the
latter country exceed all others in value,
although it has long been conjectured
in the trade that large portion of the
bristles sold as French are really the
Russian article, manipulated by process
es known only to the French dealers.
French bristles are the white, beautifully
dressed ones of which choice brushes for
artists and painters are made. Many so
called camel's hair brushes are simply
fine French bristles, which possess all
the softness at the extremities and that
peculiar springiness that makes the Ca
mel's hair SO valuable.
Whenever shoemaker is choosing
his bristles he never wants them over six
inches in length-the Russian bristles
grow as long as ten inches-for over that
length they do not have the toughness
and firmness necessary for his use.
Color is the chief thing to be looked for
in determining the value of bristles for
fine brushes. White bristles bring the
highest price. This is not their natural
color. Wilderness is produc ed by much
washing, combing, and skillful bleaching
with sulphur. Some bristles will not be-
come any nearer white than cream col
or, and they are the next in value. 9th
eIs-and MANI otheIs,at that-will not
consent to change from a dirty brown
Or blueish gray. Such are disposed of
by dying them black.