The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-07-05
F0RTUNEIN FLYBRUSHES
PEACOCK FEATHERS ARE COMING
BACK INTO FASHION,.

HOW 10 zen W men Lne fcaU1eFs ftEb
"Ripe"-Choice Brushes Sell For Fifty
Dollars-Facts About the Tails of the
Proud Birds.
The old-fashioned fly brushes of
peacock feathers are coming back into
| fashion, and one woman in South
Carolina is making snug little in
come by the manufacture and sale OF
them to Northern visitors.
"Of course the feathers must be
plucked in May or the early part of
June if you wish to have them in the
best condition." said this maker OF
peacock fly brushes, whose name, by
the way, is Mrs. John Jones. "After
that time the fowl begins to shed them
and they are not so good. I some
times pluck part of tail and let the
bird go for another week, because 1
find all the feathers are not ripe. How
can 1 tell? Why, when there is the
slightest blood at the stems. When
perfectly ripe they come out easily
| and the stems are not the slightest
bit discolored.
SIN price my brushes range from
9zO w DOO. hOoO uu bLlC III
price contain only the feathers from
one fowl, while the more expensive
ones have carefully sorted feathers
from half dozen tails.
"In making l begin with the handles,
the foundation of which is of some
strong, light wood. Over this wooden
stick I fit the long stems of the best
tail feathers, which I have scraped
clean and white Then 1 weave back
and forth over and under these stems
black or dark green braid about an
inch in width. The effect is very
pretty and it will last as long as there
is feather. The lower end OF this
handle finish by neat cap of leather
the color of the braid.
"I next prepare to put on the brush.
In the smaller or upper end of the
stick I have cut three grooves; on the
upper of these fasten funnel shaped
piece of pasteboard-the small end
just fitting the stick-by wrapping
with strong fax thread. This done,
l put on the first row of feathers.
Selecting the long ones, fit the stems
around the funnel. carefully keeping
the feather ends on a line and the eyes
turned out. Then = tie them. first at
the groove where the tunnel is tied
and then in the groove below, clip
ping the stems off just below the
second wrapping.
"Next, with coarse needle and
some of the fax thread, string these
feathers and tack firmly to the paste
board funnel about a half-inch from
the upper edge. Remember that the
success of your brush depends on the
security With which this first row is
attached to the stick and the paste
board funnel. Between the top of this
pasteboard and the eyes of this row
the feathers must be strung three
times and the thread firmly tied.
"The next row is put on about the
same way, except that the ends of the
feathers come far enough down to
show the eyes in the first row, while
the stems are wrapped in the middle
and lowest grooves. The succeeding
rows are much more easily fitted in,
as there are but three points to OBJ
serve: First, let the eyes Of the pre-
ceding row be plainly visible; second,
wrap the stem ends firmly, and third,
string them in such q manner that the
threads will not show. A brush so
made will show a succession of pea
cock eyes, and the effect is exceeding
ly rich.
"Now, to cover the wrapping where
brush and handle meet, either put
on a tapering leather cover to match
the cap at the lower end of the handle
or cover piece of stiff canvas with
the breast feathers I think make the
handsomest and the most appropriate
base from which the tail feathers ap-
pear to spring. 1 sometimes cover
the handles with plated leather or
with palmetto, but most of my orders
have been for stem and braid cover
ings.
"Peafowls are not numerous, as
they lay very few eggs. The first
year hen lays only two eggs and then
one more for every year alter. The
young are very delicate, but when ma
tured think they almost Bever die.
Two of my cocks, I am sure, are TWEEN
ty-fve years old. They are very use
full on farm, as they brighten away
hawks, thus protecting the other
poultry, and the negroes and many
well-informed whites have great faith
in them as weather prophets.
"I have ten cocks, consequently
have only ten tails a season of my
own raising, but [ buy those of other
farmers wives all through the State,
paying from 50 to IS, according to the
quality of the feathers. The older a
fowl the heavier and better is its tail
in a good season. have all the sum
mer and fall to make my brushes and
so 1 do the work entirely. Last sea
son l sold forty, while for next season
I already have sixty-eight ordered. l
don't think they really are going to
be used to brush away the flies at
meals, as they are here in the South,
but will be adapted as ornamental,
and many ladies will add them to
their oriental rooms or corners. 1t
L. I 81 10 T,.7