The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-08-16
PLUCkiNG LIVE hOoS.
Where BristIes Come From and lie"
They Are Obtained.

II saw it stated in newspaper tue
other day. said brush manufacturer.
that most OF the bristles used in brush.
making in this country came from En-
gland. To the average reader the
natural inference OF that statement
would be that the bristles were the
product OF swine raised in England
Such is not the case by any means. On
the contrary, English hogs do not grow
bristles that the brush manufacturers
can use with profit or economy. Rus
sian swine provide nearly all OF the
bristles that are used in that business
everywhere, and they are imported
into this country from England But
there are not 80 many Russian bristles
used in the United States as formerly,
for the great Weste"a hog market OF
our own country now supplies all that
are necessary for the commoner kinds
of brushes.
The best bristles in the world, ex.
cept those which France supplies in
limited quantities. 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, berry, acorn and conal 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 a
half-wild state, guarded and looked
after by swineherdS as wild as the
hogs themselves. 1t is not there and
in that state of savagery that the hogs
give up their bristles-to commerce, but
from these great droves the swine are
selected for the culture OF the bristIe
crop, for the hogs that are to furnish
it are treated and cared for with that
end in view. They are brought from
the northern wilds and pastured near
the great tallow factories OF Russia.
They are fed at certain seasons on the
refuse of the tallow factories. which in
a short time puts them in fine condi,
ton. The bristle crop is gathered in
the summer time, after the hogs
have been fed for months or
the tallow refuse, are enor,
mously fat. and in the desired
condition for plucking-for Russian
bristles are not the yield of dead hogs,
but are live the same as our own
geese feathers are. The swine are
driven into Enclosures until they are
packed In like sardines in a box. They
plunge and kick and squeal in their
close quarters until they are heated tc
a feverish condition of blood. That,
together with the state OF fatness they
are in, seems to loosen the roots of the
bristles and the bristle pluckers pull
them out more easily than woman
can pick the feathers from goose.
Apparently the pulling out of the
DilSJleS 10 dtltllcu Will NJ ptli " IaI-
ever to the hog When the hogs are
all plucked they are turned loose and
are at liberty to run at large in theil
pastures until they grow,a new crop o'
the material for which they are kept,
and the time arrives for tallow-fatten.
ing them again for the next plucking.
Bristles from Russian hogs can always
be distinguished by little tuft of soft
wool at the roots, from a thick sub
stance of that kind that underlies the
roots of the bristles in the hogs skin.
This is supposed to be provision Of
nature for protecting the animals from
the vigorous weather that prevails in
Northern Russia, their natural habitat.
IF 'ance and Germany supply a
sma but valuable share of the bristles
USED in the trade. The German peas.
ants save every hristle that falls from
their hogs, and their herds are watched
carefully so that none OF the valuable
shedding is lost. They do not pluck their
hogs alive, but when pig is killed
the first thing done is to secure the
bristles. Collectors go about the coun-
try in regular intervals purchasing the
bristle hoardings Of the peasants.
Germany produces more bristles than
France, but those Of the latter country
exceed all others in value although il
has long been conjectured in the trade
that a large portion OF the bristles
sold us French are really the Russian
article, manipulated by process
known only to French bristle dealers.
French bristles are the white, beauti.
fully dressed ones of which choice
brushes for artists and painters are
made. Many so-called camers-hair
brushes are simply the French bristles,
which possess all the softness at the
extremities and that peculiar springi-
ness that make the camel's hair SO val.
liable.
Whenever shoemaker is choosing
his bristles he never wants them over
six inches in length-the Russian grow
as long as eight and 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 bris-
tles bring the highest price. White is
nou their natural color whiteness be-
int produced by much washing and
rlbing and skillful bleaching with