Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Getty Research Institute https://archive.org/details/reportonbrushmatOOvarn V \. c ■ "v \ V- . \ . N • " ' V s * \ - % ■> ; v ^ * o > APPENDIX 21.—REPORT OF CHIEF OF ORDNANCE. 1883. REPORT BRUSH MATERIAL AND THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES. CAPTAIN A. L. VARNEY, Ordnance Department, U. S. A. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1883 . a . Appendix 2 1. REPORT ON BRUSH MATERIAL AND 1HE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES BY CAPT. A. L. VARNEY, ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT. (41 plates.) Wateryliet Arsenal, West Troy , N. Y., September 15, 1883. Lieut. Col. A. Mordecai, Commanding Watervliet Arsenal : Sir : 1 Dave the honor to submit herewith a report embodying such information as I have been able to gather bearing upon the sources, description, preparation, &c., of brush material, and upon the manu¬ facture of brushes. The subject of quality and relative cost of raw material first prompted investigation with a view to determining, if possible, the best means of procuring horse-brushes for the Army; whether by supplying materials and paying for manufacture, or by purchase of finished brushes. The soon-discovered liability of the Government to suffer fraud and extor¬ tion by both means, led to the conviction that a more thorough knowl¬ edge of the bristle trade and of brush manufacture than could be gathered from sources near at hand was indispensably necessary for proper selection of stock and intelligent inspection of horse-brushes when purchased “ready-made.” Pursuant to this conviction, the au¬ thority of the Chief of Ordnance, and your letter of instructions of May 8, 1882,1 visited Boston, Providence, and NTew York City, to push my inquiries among bristle merchants, manufacturers of brush fiber, and the city libraries. Very little could be learned from books, but the amount of information obtained from other sources added interest to the subject, gave further conviction of its importance to the Depart¬ ment, and induced an enlargement of the scope of the original design, so as to include, in a superficial way, the whole subject of brush manu¬ facture. Finally, for reasons set forth in the report, it was recommended that the Department undertake the manufacture, not only of horse-brushes, but of all other varieties used in the military service. < - . The wisdom of the recommendation seems to be confirmed by the suc¬ cess with which it has been put into execution with reference to horse- brushes, and the satisfactory prosecution of the work for nearly eight months at this arsenal. -.In hi :i; kh<> Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. L. VARNEY, Captain of Ordnance. i'l'uiim - jo oldalogov 5249—Ap 21-1 2 [First indorsement.] Watervliet Arsena.l, September 18, 1883. Respectfully forwarded to tlie Chief of Ordnance, U. S. A., with the recommendation that this letter and the accompanying report be pub¬ lished for the information of officers of the Ordnance Department. The report embraces much matter that cannot be found in print, and Captain Varney deserves much credit for the perseverance and labor he has devoted to the subject. A report upon the manufacture of horse-bruslies at this arsenal and upon the inspection of such brushes for the Ordnance Department will be submitted hereafter. A. MORDECAI, Lieutenant-Colonel of Ordnance , Commanding. REPORT ON BRISTLES, BRUSH FIBER AND BRUSHES, WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO BRUSHES USED IN THE MILITARY SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES. Part I.— Bristles. Of the materials used by the brush-maker, bristles form, by far, the most important item. For such uses they possess qualities which ren¬ der them superior to all other known substances. They are described as a thick, glossy kind of hair, or elongated epidermic appendages au- algous to the feathers of birds and the scales of reptiles. The name is often applied to the quills of porcupines, and the mustaches or whisk¬ ers of cats, seals, &c., but more generally to the hair with which swine are covered. Hogs’ bristles are hard, transparent, horny substances, of a prismatic or nearly cylindrical figure, consisting of roots from which the hair is developed, anti shafts or stems continuous with them. The outer extremities, usually split into two or more parts, are, in brush-makers’ parlance, denominated “ flags.” The stem of the bristle, like that of other hair, is composed of a horny integument of minute imbricated scales, with free ends toward the flag, a softer pith or medullary substance in the center, and an inter¬ mediate fibrous layer, constituting two-tliirds of the bulk ot the hair. By some authorities the two interior substances are classed together as medullary. Two essential parts, the cortex, or investing coat of scales, and the medulla or pith, are, however, found in the hairs of all animals, notwithstanding wide differences of appearance, ranging from the fur of the seal and mole to the bristles of the hog, the quills of the porcupine, and even the horn of the rhinoceros. Bristles are hard, stiff, and elastic to a remarkable degree, and of all animal products are the least liable to spontaneous decomposition. They are practically insoluble in water, even at a high temperature; but are decomposed in chlorine gas, and become a soft glutinous mass. In chlorine water they are unchanged except being deprived of more or less coloring matter. Prolonged exposure to the action of sulphur¬ ous acid gas also bleaches them without other preceptible effect. Though tenacious of their natural hues, they repel artificial colors, and can only be dyed with difficulty. A preliminary steeping for twelve hours in lime-water will prepare them for the reception of colors, either vegetable or mineral, but at the expense of durability. Black dyes are 3 used more frequently than any other, and may be prepared by adding to a strong decoction of logwood a small quantity of the proto-sulphate of iron. For 50 pounds of hair, 25 pounds of logwood should be boiled in a suitable quantity of water for three hours, then the fire withdrawn, and 12 ounces of sulphate of iron introduced and stirred. The hair, washed in soft water to remove the lime, is then immersed in the bath and kept there for twelve hours or more. The quality of hogs’ bristles, in the natural state, varies with the age, sex, and habitat of the animal, and with the season of the year when slaughtered. Those from old are stronger than those from young- swine, except that in extreme old age they lose much of their elasticity and are consequently less valuable. Bristles from the boar, whether wild or domesticated, are superior to those from the sow; and those from hogs slaughtered in winter are longer and stouter than those from hogs slaughtered in the summer. In summer they are curled and short, and it is only in winter that they attain their greatest strength and de¬ velopment. The best bristles come from swine habituated to the severe climates of the higher latitudes, where nature seems to have provided them with extra covering. Hence Polish, Russian, and especially Sibe¬ rian bristles, are long and strong; and it is from these countries that England and the United States draw a great portion of their stock to make brushes, for which the short and weak native products are not suitable. The longest and stiffest bristles grow along the spine of the hog, especially in the region of the shoulders, where they sometimes,iu Siberia, attain the remarkable length of 12 inches. For several inches on either side of the spine, however, and sometimes well down on the sides of the animal, much of the hair is sufficiently coarse and stiff for many kinds of brushes. The whole hairy vesture of the hog is in fact turned to profitable account iu one way or another, that which is too soft and fine for the brush-makers’ use being sold to saddlers and up¬ holsterers as “ wool.” Bristles of excellent quality for many uses, though inferior in length and strength to those from Northern Russia, are obtained from France, Turkey, and Germany. In all these countries bristles have for many years formed a conspicuous article of commerce, especially in Germany, to which country’s export has been added in the course of trade a con¬ siderable portion of those from Turkey and Russia. The following is an extract from a book written by a German brush- maker of Dantzic :* Most, bristles which come from the colder climates are black or gray, and need not therefore be dyed. Prussian bristles, which are generally gray, are not so long and thick as Polish and Russian. So-called German bristles are still weaker and shorter; but their intrinsic value, which is toughness, is greater than all others. Their color is almost white, termed “faded” in the terminology of the brush manufacturer. Since really no white bristles are to be found they must be bleached, which can only be done with difficulty. Only the bristles from the very top of the back of German swine can be used in brush manufacture, the others being too short and weak. In Germany, however, very many Polish and Russian bristles are consumed, besides those of native growth. In Berlin particularly there are several large factories which for the most part get their bristles from Dantzic, where merchants receive them from Polish Jews, who collect them all over Poland. These merchants export them either by the bushel or in bundles of five to ten pounds’ weight to the brush manu¬ facturers who have to assort them, as a bushel always contains several kinds. Al¬ though the exterior of the bristles may appear as if all the bristles were long and strong, yet those in the middle are frequently poor. In Germany the trade in bristles, like the fur trade, is mostly in the hands of the Jews. Russia has the largest export trade in bristles. England receives yearly * Neuer Schauplatz der Kiinste und Handwerke der Biirsten- und Pinselfabrikant. Weimar, 1842. Translated for this paper by C. Bjerregaard, Assistant Librarian Astor Library, New York City. 4 2,000,000 pounds from that country. The value of bristles imported into England in 1H32 was 3^,741 pounds sterling. The Russian export is mostly from St. Petersburg and Archangel. The best kinds are those called Akatka and the poorer Suchui. Poland, too, has a large export trade in bristles, particularly to Posen, Krakau, Wien (Vienna), and Breslau. In Kbnigsberg, whereto this article is brought principally by Jews, as also in Dautzic, they assort and divide the bristles into bin bundles and little bundles. The first have little heads on the lower ends and the bristles are very stiff; the refuse is large ; the bundle weighs from 6 to 7 pounds. This kind generally goes to England. The smaller bundles containing the shorter and setter bristles, weigh from one to two pounds and go to Holland. In Konigsberg it is also the practice to divide the bristles into crown bristles ( kron- borsten), crown refuse bristles ( kronbrackborsttn ), and refuse bristles (brakborstev). Nuremberg is, in Germany, the great market for bristles. There crude bristles are collected from all parts of Germany and assorted into box-bristles, parcel-bristles, and pencil-bristles. The last are gray, reddish-black, and faded in color, and are tied up in parcels each of a quarter of a pound weight. The assortment is regulated by the strength, length, and color; only the long ones are called box-bristles ( achachu'hjut). About three ounces are laid down in a box and sent to Italy and France, where they are used in the manufacture of the “wings” and the so-called “souls of shuttles”. Raw bristles (i. e., bristles not sorted), or raw hair, are those which the manufacturers buy by the bushel. The Nuremberg bristle dealers have to iirst buy a permit from the corporation or guild before they can trade. Every trader in bristles must burn his stamp upon the box, and many stamps ar e considered a good thing. The best known are the Grapes, the Imperial Globe with a cross on it, the Oakleaf, the Fir Tree, the Lily, the Cup, the Post Boy’s Horn, the Lamb, the Rose, the Image of the Virgin, the Arrow, the Anchor, &c. Hungarian and Turkish bristles go by way of Triest, Vienna, and Prague to Leipsig, Breslau, and Nuremburg, where they are prepared for Hollandish and English use. All kinds of prepared bristles have their peculiar letters and numbers, and are also known by the countries whence they come. Hence the different and peculiar price lists. In Nuremburg bristles are also dyed in all desirable colors. Besides Nuremburg, Hamburg has a great trade in bristles and exports largely to Spain, Portugal, North America, the West Indies, Ac. In the trade is found a kind of “lime bristles” which, although they may be long and strong, are of poor quality, because they are obtained as a by-product from the tanning of hog skins. They make fair brushes and pencils, but do not wear well, as their strength has been im¬ paired by contact with lime. They are readily recognized, for when they are bent short they remain in that position or break at once. Sometimes this inferior stock is mixed with good assortments, but to discover the fraud it is only necessary to test them, say fifteen or twenty at a time, to see whether or not they break. The manufacturer of brushes must pay a much higher price for the dyed bristles than for the undyed, especially for those of scarlet. He ought, therefore, himself.to dye them. The dyeing of bristles is still a secret with certain manufacturers, who carry on their business with few workmen, and as the many have no knowledge of dyeing, we w ill here state what is necessary. For dyeing, the whitest bristles must be selected, unless they are to be dyed black, for which, of course, any other color can be used. They must be boiled for three hours iu alum w ater with a little tartar, whatever color they are to have, even for black, because the boiling is necessary to make the bristles take the color. The bristles must not be put into the water in bundles, but must be untied. The fire must be kept up to give an even temperature all the time so that the alum w ater is kept boiling without interruption. There must not be lit¬ tle water and many bristles, because the water evaporates and the bristles become dry. The best preparation is: For one pound of bristles take three and one-half quarts of river or rain water, and dissolve into it half a pound of alum and two ounces of tartar. It is best to use a copper vessel for the boiling—one deeper than w ide— because the water evaporates from it more slowly. It ought also to be kept covered, to prevent the too rapid escape of steam. Instead of a copper vessel one of clay may be used ; yet the latter is less suitable because more easily broken. Whatever vessel is used, the boiling mass must be stirred up thoroughly every ten minutes. If the manufacturer can command a copper vessel large enough to contain 8 to 12 pounds of bristles at once in the alum bath, so much the more economical for him ; yet he must take care to mix the alum and tartar in due proportions for the increased weight. During the last hour of boiling the dyes should be mixed and the color bath pre¬ pared. Some idea of the importance of the bristle trade, as a feature of 'Rus¬ sian commerce, is indicated by the following facts gathered from various authorities: As early as 1793 the value of the bristles exported from Russia was 5 reported to have been 742,000 rubles. For some years pievious to March, 1845, when the duty was repealed, England’s annual importa¬ tions from Russia, France, and Germany amounted to about 1,800,000 pounds, all but 300,000 pounds of which came from Russia. After this time they soon exceeded 2,400,000 pounds, a like proportion, no doubt, still coming from Russia. From a report on the animal substances displayed at the great exhi¬ bition in Loudon in 1851 the following quotation is made: The finest specimens of bristles were sent by Russia, to which country that article forms a most important branch of trade, its export of bristles amounting to more than 2,000,000 pounds annually. It is not likely, however, that the entire amount of England’s impor¬ tations of Russian bristles was consumed by English brush-makers, since, in later years, a portion of the Russian bristles imported by the United States has come through English ports, though more through German ports, as will be presently seen. The United States Census Report for 1870 furnishes the following statistics: Number of brush-making establishments Number of steam engines employed. Aggregate horse-power. Number of water-wheels employed. . Aggregate horse-power. Number of hands employed.^ Number of males over 1(3 employed. 1,481 1 Number of females over 15 employed. 522 [ Number of youths employed .. 422 j Amount of capital invested. Value of materials used annually. Amount of wages paid annually. Value of annual products. 157 18 257 3 21 2, 425 $1,683,993 1,312,897 691,405 2,694, 823 To supply this industry, which has increased rapidly during the last decade, not only a large amount of domestic stock has been consumed, but also considerable importations of foreign, as shown by the follow¬ ing figures from the reports of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics: Bristles received from Germany. 1872. 430,324 pounds. $592,794 1873. 659,818 pounds. 721, 537 1874. 461,487 pounds. 568,766 1875. 442,283 pounds. 567, 786 1876. 551,302 pounds. 531,503 Besides these importations from Germany, which are largely made up of Russian, Turkish, and Polish products, there were received during the same periods considerable quantities from England and France, but statistics are not readily obtainable. The amount of the Russian product included in the aggregate of United States importations is difficult to determine. A duty of 15 cents a pound is collected at the United States custom-houses on all foreign bristles. The Treasury reports exhibit the amounts received from various countries, together with the amount of revenue derived therefrom,but no statistics showing what proportion of the total importation was col¬ lected in Russia. The same may be said of Polish and Turkish bristles, these also finding their way through German markets to ports on the Baltic and North Seas, whence they are exported. In former years, when all Russian stock was imported by sailing ves¬ sels direct from Cronstadt, the harbor of St. Petersburg, regular lists were published there showing tbe exact quantity of their exports to the 6 United States, such as bristles, red leather, hemp, &c., but as bristles are now imported in a roundabout way, that source of information is cut off. During the summer months Russian imports came by steamer from St. Petersburg to Lubeck, thence by rail to Hamburg, and from that port by steamer to New York ; and during the close of navigation, from November to the middle of May, by rail from St. Petersburg to Ham¬ burg and thence by steamer. New York receives the bulk of United States importations, the other Atlantic cities, as Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston, importing but a trilling amount, said to be not more than 10 or 20 casks a year. St. Petersburg is the most important point in Russia whence bristles are brought. They are collected from amongst the peasantry all over Russia and Siberia by itinerant peddlers, and carried to the prominent centers of trade in the interior, where they are “dressed” and packed for shipment to St. Petersburg. The best come from Siberia, though formerly those from the Ukraine were most esteemed. There are no abattoirs in Russia as in the United States. Most Rus¬ sian bristles come from swine killed by peasants. The peasant wives usually assist in plucking the dead animals and are allowed the bristles. They assort them into colors and sizes, tie them in small bundles, and store them away to await the peddler’s coming. Frequently, in times past, the best of the bristles were reserved and allowed to accumulate until the occasion of a daughter’s marriage, when they were given to her as a dower. Hence the name of “dower” bristles and the reputation they have had for excellence. Russian bristles are assorted as to color into white, half white, yellow, gray, and black ; as to length and stiffness into okatkas, firsts, suchoys, and seconds, in the order of excellence, okatkas being the best. There are also superior, extra, medium, and ordinary okatkas. All Russian bristles are put up in bundles and tied with thongs of bark. Firsts, suchoys, and seconds in bundles of three to four pounds, and okatkas in bundles of about one pound. They are packed in the interior at Moscow, Jaroslav, Archangel, &c., in casks of about 1,000 pounds, and brought to St. Petersburg where they are unpacked, “bracked,” and then repacked in smaller casks of about 500 pounds, termed by the Russians “ boy-casks.” All bristles exported from Russia are inspected (“bracked”) by four experts appointed for life, two Russians and two foreigners, who ex¬ amine every bundle and throw out those which do. not come up to the standard in length, strength, and color. These inspectors are called “brackers.” That which is thrown out is termed “brack,” and is sold at a lower price as inferior stock. Next to tSt. Petersburg the most important bristle market is Leipsic, where two or three fairs are held annually, the principal one beina in the fall at Michaelmas time; bristles from Poland, Gallicia, and Turkey are found there, as well aS some from Moscow. One or tw o of the principal packers have found it advisable to send their stock to Leipsic in preference to St. Petersburg, the ex¬ pense being less and the bristles not being subject to “brack.” Konigsberg is an important market for bristles, especially for Polish, Courland, and some Russian. The quality of Russian bristles is said to be by no means what it was a few years since. Crossing the breeds with Berkshire hogs, which yield excellent pork but have hardly any bristles, has softened the Russian stock. The late Turkish war, while it did not sensibly affect the collection of raw materia], is said to have somewhat reduced the product in quality, the hogs having been slaughtered when young and before the bristles 7 liad attained full development, in order to meet the demand of the army for subsistence supplies. On the other hand, it greatly influenced the money market, depreciating the currency and reducing the rate of exchange, thus greatly favoring the importer. The quantity collected has also somewhat decreased for the same reasons. It is ordinarily from 60,000 to 70,000 poods, a pood being equal to 36 American pounds, or about 4,000 casks a year, of which England takes the bulk. America comes next, and the remainder is divided between France and Ger¬ many. The Russian crop: Poods. Id 1876. 72, 700 In 1877 . 78, 000 In 1878 . 64, 000 In 1879 . 53, 000 In 1880 . 55, 000 The 1880 crop of 55,000 poods was divided as follows: Poods. Okatkas, stiff, 6 to 6-| inches long. 6, 400 Firsts, stiff, 44- to 5 and 5| inches long. 12, 800 Suchoys, soft, 5 to 51 inches long. 18,200 Seconds, soft, 3f to 4-£ inches long. 17, 600 Following is a general classification of the most prominent varieties of foreign bristles used by American brush-makers, giving lengths in inches and the prices per pound at Hew York quotations, corrected up to May 11, 1882. These prices will vary on account of variations in quality in the same brands, and with different dealers. Furthermore, bristles are, of course, subject to the same fluctuations in price as other imported goods, dependent upon the state of the money markets, the rate of exchange, supply, demand, &c. A considerable advance is noted in the past two years, especially in American, Russian, and French bristles, which are reported as growing scarcer and of poor quality. Brush-makers anticipate a further advance rather than a reduction in prices. RUSSIAN BRISTLES. Okatkas: Superior: Per pound. White, 6|, 6f, and 7 inches. $2 50 to $3 50 Half white, 6-J- to 7 inches.,. 2 50 to 2 75 Yellow, 6| to 7 inches. 2 30 to 2 75 Gray, to 7 inches. 2 30 Black, 6^ to 7 inches. 2 40 Extra, same colors, 6-J inches. 2 15 to 2 20 Medium, same colors, 6J inches. 2 10 to 2 15 Ordinary, same colors, 6 inches. 1 85 to 1 90,1 95 Ordinary, same colors, 5i inches. 1 65 to l 70,1 75 Firsts: White, 4 to 5£ inches. 1 50 to 1 75 Yellow, 4 to 5f inches. 1 50 to 1 75 Gray, 4 to 5f inches. 1 35 to 1 50 Black. 4 to 5f inches . 1 35 to 1 50 Many firsts have all the colors in concentric rings mixed iu the same bundles and are sometimes called u plugged firsts.” Such are, of course, sold at a lower price than those which have been dressed iu separate colors. * Suchoys: Per pound. White, 4 to 5£ inches, soft. $1 00 to $1 30 Yellow, 4 to 5f inches, soft. 1 00 to 1 30 Gray, 4 to 5£ inches, soft. 90 to 1 20 Black, 4 to 5f inches, soft. 90 to 1 20 8 Seconds: White, 34 to 44 inches. 75 to 90 Yellow, 34 to 44 inches. 65 to 70 Gray, 34 to 44 inches. 55 to 65 Black, 34 to 44 inches. 50 to 60 Seconds are shorter but not necessarily less stiff than suclioys. Any¬ thing above 4£ inches makes suchoys. All Russian bristles are assorted into colors and grades as above, though there are many brands of varying excellence, taking their names from the packers or places where dressed. Some of the brands best known in the American trade and highest esteemed are: Brand. Okatkas. Firsts. Suchoys. Seconds. Kamtckatka. Inches. 64 Inches. 5 $ Inches. 5* Inches. 41 Bogomoloff. 64 51 54 45 Grebenikoff. 61 5} 54 41 Susckkin. 6j 5 to 5| 5 41 Sossoff Zersclioff. 61 5 to 54 5 41 Mescatinoff.. 61 5 to 51 5 41 Mestschefl'sky. 6 5 5 4 Russian bristles ‘‘bracked” at St. Petersburg, though shipped through German ports, generally remain in the original packages until they reach New York, and can be relied upon as of uniform and stand¬ ard excellence as to length, strength, and color, according to brand. About 10 per cent, of the contents of each cask are “ extra long”; that is, they are from a quarter to a half inch above the specified length. The Government inspection is rigid and the inferior stock is always rejected. As noted in the preceding, however, certain Russian packers, to evade the “ brack ”, take their stock to Germany and sell it at the fairs. Such Russian bristles are at least of uncertain quality, since there is no Government inspection of any kind outside of Russia. GERMAN BRISTLES. Tectiner bristles, dressed in Tectin, a small town in Russian Poland, are the most regular of those classed as German. They are really Polish, but are called German by dealers to distinguish them from other Russian brands. They are assorted into grades and colors as follows: Extra Spitz Spitz: Ber pound. White, 4f to 7 inches. $1 95 Yellow, 4£ to 7 inches. 1 60 Gray, 4-f to 7 inches. 1 40 Spitz Spitz: White, 4 to 44 inches... 1 45 Yellow, 4 to 44 inches. 1 35 Gray, 4 to 44 inches. 1 00 Spitz Spitz usually have the white and yellow mixed in the casks but not in the bundles. Spitz: Cents. # White, 34 to 4 inches. 90 Yellow, 34 to 4 inches. 85 Gray, 34 to 4 inches. 60 9 MEMEL. These are tied in small bundles of 1 ounce to 1£ ounces, and are quoted as follows: Extra Memel: White, 5 to 7 inches . $1 90 Yellow, 5 to 7 inches. 1 50 Gray, 5 to 7 inches. 1 35 Memel: White, 4£ inches. 1 40 Yellow, 4-J inches. . 1 35 Gray,’ 41 inches . 1 15 In a cask of 600 pounds of Memel about 140 pounds are white, 200 pounds gray, and 260 pounds yellow. The colors are all mixed in the bundles. German: Per pound. Firsts, white and gray, 4 to 5 inches. $1 50 Seconds, white and gray, 4 inches..75 to 90 cents. S:; m | Paint and varnish stock. German firsts and seconds are tied in u taper ” bundles. About 15 per cent, are yellow, and the remainder white. There are many other brands and assortments of the lower German grades, but their names are of little value to the brush-maker, as both names and qualities are con¬ stantly changing. Courland brands are similar to Memel in lengths, colors, quality, style of dressing, and price. Meseritzer brands are inferior to Memel, Cour¬ land, and Tectiner, and worth from 5 to 10 cents a pound less. POLISH BRANDS. Bristles from Poland, Eastern Germany, and the Ukraine are classed as Polish by most dealers, but are sometimes sold as Memel. They are tied up in bundles of a few ounces, and in colors like the Russian, white, yellow, gray, and black. Polish: Per pound. White, 41 inches. $1 45 Yellow, 4\ inches. 1 45 Gray, 41 inches. 1 25 Black, 41 inches. 1 25 Per pound • Polish white and yellow, 4f to 7 inches.. $1 95 and upwards. Gray and black, 4f to 7 inches. 1 65 and upwards. KONIGSBERG BRANDS. Prussian, shoe, soft white, 51 to 7 inches. Inch, stiff, white. Inch, stiff, yellow. Grown, white, 41 inches. Crown, white, 4 inches. Per pound. 65 to f 1 85 2 00 2 00 1 15 85 TURKISH BRANDS. Gallician and Austrian bristles are sometimes found dressed as Turkish, though Gallician are often sold as such, and Austrian as Memel. The colors are white, gray, and black; and each color is tied up sep- 10 arately in bundles of 2 or 3 ounces. Tbe small bundles are then bound together into larger bundles of 1 or 2 pounds, each composed of various colors. The stitfest Turkish stock comes from Bucharest; Leipsic is the principal market, apd Hamburg, Stettin, and Lubeek the points of ex¬ portation. • Per pound. Turkish, 44 to 7 inches, white. $2 00 to $2 25 Turkish, 4£ to 7 inches, black and gray. 1 65 to 1 80 FRENCH BRANDS. French bristles are mostly white; they are bleached nicely, dressed, packed in small bundles, and preserved from moths by paper wrap¬ pings. They are usually imported in 50-kilogramme cases, with as¬ sorted lengths in each case. The most important brands are dressed and packed in Paris. The most prominent dealers are Deseglise Freres and A. Dupont. Some of the principal brands are: Deseglise, 1-7 [Nos. 1 to 7], prdparde. $1 40 Deseglise, 2-8, bean blanc. 1 85 A. Dupont, 1-7, demi blanche... 1 10 A. Dupont, 1-7, prdparde. 1 20 A. Dupont, 2-8, beau blanc. . 1 65 There are extra sizes (4-7 and 0-12) that are only imported against special orders and the prices are not quoted. There are also qualities selected out of the beau blanc called: Beau blanc forte, 2-10. $2 50 to $3 00 Beau blanc “extra” forte, 2-10. 3 25 to 3 50 Beau blanc “extra” forte, zero. 4 50 to 5 00 Lately a great many special sizes have been sold; that is, selected bristles for special purposes, for which special prices have been paid. French bristles are of a peculiar pearly whiteness, and are assorted and dressed with great care. The “flags” are washed clean without having been broken or worn away in the process, and are, therefore, soft and white, and especially suitable for artists’ and painters’ tools. The finest tooth brushes are also made of French stock. The lengths of French bristles are designated by numbers, though the same standard has not been adopted by the different packers. Deseglise No. 1 is 2f inches and A. Dupont No. 1 is 2i inches long. The numbers run from 1 to 12 and occasionally higher. The difference between any two consecutive numbers is one-quarter of an inch. AMERICAN BRISTLES. SOURCE. Dressers and packers of American bristles obtain the “ raw hair” from the great pork-packing establishments in the Western States, some from the smaller abattoirs in the East, and, no doubt, a comparatively trifling amount from small collectors who receive them from peddlers, as in Bussia. Contracts for bristles and hog’s hair, at a stipulated price per hog, are made by the bristle merchants with pork-packers at the beginning of the winter packing, for the season commencing No¬ vember 1 and ending March 1, and for the summer season, commencing March 1 and ending November 1. The contractors generally employ their own pullers, who, as fast as the dead animals are scalded, pull out the longest of the bristles along the back and put them into barrels, taking care to separate the colors. The remainder of the bristles and 11 soft hair is then scraped off and thrown on the floor where each day’s product remains until the following morning, when it is gathered up and carted away to a field, rented or purchased for the purpose, and spread on the ground. There it remains until it has become thoroughly cleansed and “cured” by the frost, snow, and rain. In May or June, or later, according to season, it is raked up, pressed into bales, and taken to the dressing factory or to the market. This poorer quality of field- bleached bristles is said to form a considerable article of export. The better quality is shipped in the barrels to the dressing factory whenever a car-load has accumulated. DRESSING. The process of “dressing” or preparing “raw hair” for the hand of the brush-maker involves the following operations, viz, “soaking,” “wet-combing,” “washing,” “bleaching” (white stock), “straighten¬ ing,” “drying,” “separating,” “dry-combing,” “dragging,” and “bundling.” The bristles which fall to the floor during these opera¬ tions are termed “riflings”; they are restored to a condition suitable for brushes by “picking,” “recombing,” “turning,” and “dragging” as before. What finally remains is called “wool,” and is sold to sad¬ dlers and upholsterers for stuffings, or “curled” and used for mat¬ tresses, &c. SOAKING. When bristles are received at the factory they are immersed in fresh water while still in the casks, holes having first been bored in the heads to admit the water. The object is to stop any fermentation that may have begun, and to soften the dermatic and other impurities that ad¬ here to them so that they can be easily combed and washed. The bristles are pulled off in large tufts or flakes and thrown into the casks with the roots adhering, and they are soaked in the casks to avoid the disarrangement that would result if removed and soaked in open vats. WET-COMBING. After several days’ soaking the bristles are removed from the casks, the workmen picking out the flakes as they were removed from the an¬ imal, and piling them on benches with the flags all in one direction. They are then, while still wet, gathered up in convenient maniples and combed on a steel-toothed comb attached to the front of the bench, roots and flags alternately, to separate them and remove as much of the ad¬ herent matter as possible. The bundles are then stacked up in tubs in concentric rings, with the flags toward the center. WASHING. These tubs when full are removed to the washing room, where rows of small vats, raised to the height of an ordinary work bench, are arranged in pairs with a faucet over each, one for the supply of hot water and the other for cold water. The bundles of bristles are removed from tin* tubs one at a time and washed, first in hot and then in cold water the workman holding the bundle in his hand and manipulating it so as to thoroughly wash it and at the same time to prevent the disarrangement of the flags and roots. In washing white bristles intended for paint and varnish stock strong- soap is used, and the flag ends of the bundles are rubbed on the flat surface of a sharp-grained stone, such as a grindstone. Care must be 12 taken, however, not to scour off the flags; otherwise they would be ruined for the purpose intended. After washing, the bristles are re¬ packed in clean tubs in the same arrangement as before, the black going to be straightened and the white to be bleached. BLEACHING (WHITE STOCK). The bleachery is usually a small brick or wooden building, divided into compartments of convenient size, each having below a pit about 2 feet deep, in which sulphur is burned, and above, wooden gratings in tiers, on which the bristles are spread. After being exposed to the fumes of the burning sulphur about twelve hours they are returned to the factory, and subsequently treated precisely like the colored stock. STRAIGHTENING. All bristles, especially those collected in summer, are naturally curved or bent, and must be straightened before they are tit for brushes. To effect this boys are employed to bind them together in bundles of 2 or 3 ounces, usually with a stick in the middle. After binding the bundles are arranged on wooden racks inside a steam-chest, and live steam turned on for several hours. DRYING. On removal from the steam-chest the bundles are carried to the dry¬ ing-room and spread on gratings similar to thosein the bleachery. Coils of steam pipe, usually on the floor, supply the necessary heat. SEPARATING. After being thoroughly dried they are unbound from the sticks and arranged in boxes, still keeping the roots and flags together. At this stage they are somewhat matted together, and to separate them before combing they are passed through a machine expressly designed for the purpose. One consists of two fluted pieces of cast-iron the corruga¬ tions fitting into each other like the teeth of gears. The lower one is stationary and the other made bj' appropriate machinery to rise and fall upon it with a kind of sliding motion. An endless belt runs be¬ tween them in a direction at right angles to the grooves, upon which the bristles are spread transversely or parallel to the grooves. A cut of this machine is not readily obtainable. Another machine for this purpose, patented by W. F. Parks, is represented iu Plate I. This machine consists of a contrivance by which the adhering masses of bristles are made to pass between two surfaces, the lower one of which is a moving band or belt, on which the bundles of bristles are spread, and which carries them underneath an inclined slide which is separated from the belt at the end where the bristles are inserted far enough to permit their easy introduction, and approaches so near to it at the other end as only to permit the separated bristles to pass out between it and the moving belt. A reciprocating motion is given to the slide so that while the bristles are being carried forward on the belt they are at the same time being rubbed by the slide, thus cleaning and separating them before their exit at the narrow opening. Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of the machine through the line A B. Fig. 2 represents a plan and Fig. 3 a cross-section through the line G D of the plan. M repre¬ sents the endless belt carried upon rollers whose journals are shown at 13 a a. X represents the slide to which the guides o o are attached, mov¬ ing to and fro upon the bars b b , which are attached to the frame. P is a lever, pivoted at R, which, together with the crank T and the connect¬ ing-rod S, imparts reciprocating motion to the slide if. The distance between the slide and belt is about one-sixteenth of an inch at one end and about five-eighths of an inch at the other. The slide has a recip¬ rocating motion of about 3 inches. Both slide and belt are provided with transverse ridges to insure a more thorough rubbing of the bristles. The stock is gathered up as it leaves the separating machine, carefully replaced in the boxes, and carried to the combing machines. COMBING. There are several varieties of these machines, some of them com¬ bining the operations of assorting (sometimes termed “back-dragging”), combing, turning, and dragging. It is doubtful, though, whether these more pretentious mechanisms are entirely satisfactory, since in some of the largest factories machines are preferred which do the combing only, the dragging, assorting, and turning being effected either by hand or by separate machines. In the largest brush-making establishments, even where raw hair is used, these operations, with the exception of turning, are performed by hand. A combing-machine, such as that last referred to, is represented in Plate II. It was invented by X. H. Spaff'ord. It may be described as consisting of a horizontal rectangular iron-bed, about 4 feet long by 1 foot wide, supported ou four legs and surmounted in the center by a square, tower-like frame, a a, Fig. 2, whose sides meet at the top like the rafters of a house. Revolving in this frame, with its axis about a foot above the bed, and parallel with its sides, is a shaft, ft, with both ends projecting a few inches beyond the journal-boxes. On each end of the projecting shaft is a crank which carries a pitman sliding through an oscillating-guide, d, attached to the frame. Attached to the lower end of each is a comb, c, with eight or ten steel teeth about 3 inches long. Power is applied to the shaft y. and rapid motion is communicated to the cranks by means of the belt X. At each end of the horizontal frame is a drum, A and M, Figs. 1 and 2, each with four grooves, around which run four belts or cords. Beginning with M, two long belts or cords pass under the pulley K, over the pulley I, under the two central pulleys, then over the drum A. Beginning at the same point, the two remaining cords pass under the two central pulleys over the pulley Gr, under the pulley E. and finally over the drum A. Two cords or belts also pass around pulleys K and T, whose axes are so situated that the lower branches of these cords bear upon the surface of the pulley I, one between the two right-hand cords passing over M and A, and the other outside to the left. Similar cords pass over E and S bearing upon Gr. Motion is imparted to this system of pulleys and drums by means of a worm gear and toothed-wheels, shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A flat belt 2 inches wide passes around the pulleys X and Q, which are driven by beveled gears shown in Fig. 3. This last belt serves as a guide against which the butts of the bristles are placed when feeding them to the machine. To operate the machine the bristles to be combed are placed on the long, round belts above the plate O, with their butts resting against the small flat belt P, which latter moves along as the round belts are moved, and guides them until they pass under the pulley K. When the bristles have passed pulley K they rest upon pulley I, and their butts are held firmly between the two sets of round belts just de- 14 scribed, while the flag-ends, which are free, are exposed to the action of the comb C; th.nce they pass on under the pulleys S and T, and while their flags rest on pulley (4, and are held as before between the two sets of round belts, their butts are combed by the comb/; finally they are received by the operator as they pass over the drum A, and are care¬ fully piled in boxes ready for the next operation. The weights attached to the elbow-levers D and L, combined with the set-screws and slots in the boxes B B, give the required tension to the belts on the pulleys which they connect, and permit the passage of larger or smaller quan¬ tities of bristles along the belts, holding them with nearly the same firmness while being combed. A counter-weight i on the crank-shaft balances the combs. Sometimes it is found necessary to pass the bris¬ tles through this machine several times before all the dirt, doubled hairs, and “wool” have been whipped out and they are sufficiently clean to be “ dragged” and “bundled.” Another machine for combing bristles, patented by W. F. Parks and L. F. Lannoy, is represented in Plate III. This machine operates on a different principle, and its service requires much more care and labor from the operator than the preceding. Bristles to be combed by this machine are secured in bundles of suitable size in a kind of clamp repre¬ sented in Fig. 3; the butt ends are compressed between the padded jaws S S', Fig. 5, by a partial revolution of the eccentric B. To operate the machine, the loaded clamp is inserted in the dovetail slot c (at a point where the dovetailing is cut away to receive it), with its tongue in mesh with the screw D, and with the flags of the bristles presented to the action ot the comb. The rotation of the screw D gives the clamp a motion of translation, while the dovetail Q, engaging under the flange o', holds the clamp down to its bearings. As the clamp advances the comb begins to engage, by means of its shortest blade, in the bristles, and, as the clamp is drawn forward, the succeeding blades engage until all are in operation on different parts of the bunch, each succeeding longer blade rehackling with deeper penetration the portion already traversed by its shorter predecessor and more completely ridding the bundle of “shorts” and “doubles.” On reaching the next opening of the slot C the clamp is withdrawn and temporarily unclamped, and hav¬ ing had the butts of the bristles sufficiently protruded for combing, is reclamped and inserted end for end in the slot, upon which the work proceeds as before. As many bunches may be simultaneously under¬ going treatment as there are combs in the machine. DRAGGING. Dragging is the name given to the process by which bristles are as¬ sorted into different lengths or sizes. The bristles having been thor¬ oughly washed, bleached, and straightened, and having had all the dirt, “shorts,” and “doubles” combed out, are taken, a few ounces at a time, struck on the bench to even the roots, then set flags uppermost in a wooden frame with a movable side, in very much the same manner as type is set in a printer’s composing-stick. The frame is about 18 inches long and 2 inches high. Against the fixed side is placed a strip of tin 2^ inches high, and extending the whole length of the frame. Inside this are placed other similar strips of tin, each succeeding strip being a quarter of an inch higher, until the last, which is a quarter of an inch lower than the height of the longest bristles to be “ dragged.” When a sufficient quantity of bristles has been placed in the frame, the adjustable side is pressed against them by a cam and lever, clamping 15 them close against the tin gauges. The workman then proceeds to “drag” out all the bristles that project above the highest strip of tin, seizing them by the flags between the thumb and the edge of a dull knife. These are all laid in a tier by themselves, the first strip of tin removed, the compress tightened, and the next size, a quarter of an inch shorter, “dragged” and piled also by itself. American bristles are usually dragged down to 2^ inches. The resi¬ due after the final dragging is denominated “ bottoms.” The assorted sizes are termed “ draggings.” In brush factories using “raw hair,” and in small dressing establish¬ ments, the dragging is done without the aid of machinery of any kind. The workman holds a small bundle loosely in his left hand and drags out the longest bristles by the flags as before, frequently “butting down” the bundle to keep the roots even, and applying it to a “size stick” (an instrument to be presently described) to determine the lengths. Power machines, more or less automatic, are sometimes applied to this operation, but they are complex and expensive, and only used in some of the largest factories. Such a machine, patented by N. H. Spatford, is represented in Plate IV. The operation of this machine, briefly de¬ scribed, is as follows: The bristles are placed in the box H, flags upper¬ most, carefully “butted down,” and further secured by the spears or skewers a' u' a', passed through them near the butts. The box is then secured to the carriage O, and power is applied at the point indicated by the crank M. The machine being in motion, the box of bristles is fed forward by means of the cam-slot D, the lever S, the w heel II, the pinion P, and the rack Q. The crank 11 and pitman N (Fig. 8) give a reciprocating vertical motion to the slide G, which carries a pair of nip¬ pers, G G (Figs. 1,3, and 4), made to open and close at the proper times by means of the arm K (attached to the axis of the movable jaw^) and the cam stops 21 and L. Descending , the open nippers enter among the flags of the bristles in the box H, and are closed by the arm K striking the cam-stop L. Rising , the nippers carry with them the long bristles that have been nipped by the flags, until, when near the upper limit of their motion, they discharge their load by the action of the arm K and the cam-stop e'. At the moment of their release from the nippers, the bristles are caught by the arms n n of the bent lever U and pressed against the slide-bar F over the mouth of the receiving-box I, where they are held until the slide F has been withdrawn by means of the lever E and the cam-slot in the large cylinder; when the arms again move forward, putting the bristles into the box beyond the range of the slide- bar F, which is forced back across the mouth of the box in rear of the bristles, holding them in place, while the arms sweep back over the nip¬ pers, ready to repeat the operation. In order that the bristles in the receiving-box shall always be kept firmly in place, as the slide F is forced back by every successive addition of bristles, the slide has a spring clamp mounted on its guide-rod 3 (Fig. 2), on the inside of the box and bearing agaiust its end, by the friction of wffiich on the rod, as the latter is forced through it by the compression of the bristles, the rod is pre¬ vented from passing through farther than is actually required for each additional lot of bristles. BUNDLING. The “draggings” Anally pass to the bundler, who takes a sufficient quantity (about a pound of “bottoms,” or more of larger sizes) to fill a tin band of a certain diameter, and squeezes them into a cylindrical bundle by means of a hand press, so that the band can be passed over 16 them. The “flags” are usually wrapped in paper, over which the ring is slipped, and finally pushed down to the root end of the bundle after removal from the press. Sometimes a ligature of stout twine is substi¬ tuted for the tin band. The sizes and qualities are marked on the wrappers, and the bundles are packed in barrels for the market. This bundling press is of the simplest construction, being merely a block of wood whose thickness is considerably less than the length of the short¬ est bristles, lying flat on the bench, and having a hole through it, in shape like a right cylinder with a vertical axis. One-half of the con¬ cave surface of the cylindrical opening is formed on a second block, fitted into the first, and having a sliding motion like the dies in a die¬ stock, and operated by a screw in the same manner, or by a lever, which may be substituted for the screw. In some of the larger bristle facto¬ ries more complicated devices are employed to facilitate the operation of bundling. One of the simplest of these is represented in Plate V. It was patented by L. F. Lannoy. A bundle of bristles being inserted butt downward in the oblong space formed by the two guides E E' and the indented jaws B C, a depression of the treadle F operates to close the jaws and to compress the bundle into a cylindrical form. The movable jaw C being held at one end by the pivot I), and at the other by the concentric guides E E', is not liable to jam or bind in its operation, nor to be otherwise deranged. The location of the indenta¬ tions being at the end of the jaws remote from the pivot, gives the requisite capacity, and permits the operator to be close to his work. The fixture of one jaw to the bench, and the treadle and spring attach¬ ment to the other jaw, enables the device to be worked by the foot of the operator, leaving his hands at liberty. The table A serves as a support to the machine as well as a gauge for the bristles. RIFLINGS. The term “riflings” is applied to the bristles which fall to the floor during the various operations and manipulations of dressing, as well as to the sweepings from the floors of the brush factory. White stock is always handled by itself, so that white riflings rarely become mixed with those of other colors. All other riflings are mixed indiscriminately. They are swept up from the floor, and either fed by handfuls to the comb¬ ing machine again and again, until the whole mass, with the exception of the fine hair or “wool,” has been arranged in bundles, with hairs all parallel, but of different lengths, and with “roots” and “flags” all min¬ gled together, or they are taken to the picker-room, and when a quantity has accumulated are put through the picker to clean and mix them as a preliminary to the combing. Some riflings are sold for cheap brushes (mostly prison-work) in the condition they are left by the combing machine, except that they are bundled together. White riflings, ami most others long enough for paint brushes, are “turned” and “dragged” to sizes before being sold. PICKER. The picker is a machine consisting of a hollow cylinder with spikes projecting radially from the surface, and with a horizontal shaft through the axis about which it revolves, and an enveloping cylinder a little larger than is necessary to permit the rotation of the spiked cylinder. The ends and upper surface of the exterior cylinder are solid, the lower side being composed of iron rods 2 or 3 inches apart and parallel to the axis. When the machine is in motion the riflings are fed to it by 17 a slightly inclined chute and through an opening in the side about the height of the axis. The dirt falls between the iron rods, and the bristles are blown out at the rear, thoroughly mixed by the rapid motion of the spiked cylinder. In factories not provided with combing machinery, riflings, on coming from the picker, are taken by the combers, piled on benches, sprinkled with water, and then kneaded by hand into rolls of two or three pounds. The operator, holding a roll near the end, combs a few inches of that end on a comb attached to his bench. The short hair and “doubles,” being combed out, fall to the floor as “wool,” and leave the bristles at the end of the roll projecting in parallel points. The operator, seizing these points between his thumb and forefinger, drags them out and piles them on his bench. This operation is repeated until the whole roll has been combed and dragged. This stock is tied up in bundles of about a pound and laid aside to dry; the object of the tying is to keep them straight while drying. This process (sometimes termed “back-drag¬ ging”) leaves riflings in the same condition when dry as the combing machine—of all lengths and with flags and roots all mingled together. TURNING. In order to “ turn” the combed “ riflings” so that all th$ “ flags” shall be collected at one end of the bundles and all the roots at the other, advantage is taken of the peculiar structure of the bristle to effect the object by means of machinery. As explained in the foregoing, all bristles are covered with minute scales or barbs, pointing toward the “flag” ends; so that if a number be laid side by side on a piece of tine sand paper, with the roots half one way and half the other, and a piece of hard India rubber be pressed upou them and given a slight motion back and forth in the direction of their length they will be gradually pushed out roots foremost in oppo¬ site directions until they are separated into two rows, with the “flags” of one turned toward the “flags” of the other. The machine by which this “turning” is effected consists of a table with a strip of tine sand¬ paper about 5 inches wide, pasted along the middle for about 4 feet from right to left in front of the operator. On the sand-paper the bris¬ tles are spread, lying transversely, and along the middle of the row of bristles is laid a strip of India rubber, let into a groove in the lower edge of a board 4 or 5 inches wide. Motion is given to the board by means of a shaft at the rear of the table (a little shorter than the board), and connected with the latter by a connecting-rod and eccentric at each end. The eccentrics are set at the same angle and have but little—prob¬ ably about two-tenths of an inch—eccentricity. The connecting-rods are secured to the board so as to hold it firmly in a vertical position when its rubber edge is pressed on the bristles. The machine is usually started and stopped by means of a “ shipper” operated by the foot. Plate VI represents a “turning” or “separating” machine such as has been described, with the addition of two pairs of cylinders, M M and L L, between which the bristles pass as they are pushed out butt end foremost by the rubber J. The rollers are not an essential part of the machine ; the rubber without them does very good work. The ma¬ chine in Plate VI was patented by A. Randel. Plate VII represents a more complex machine for the same purpose patented by 1ST. H. Spaff'ord. The operation of this is essentially the same as the preceding, both being designed to separate bristles having their “flags” in one direction from those having their “flags” in the 5249—Ap 21-2 18 opposite direction by rubbing them in the direction of tbeir length between two suitable rubbing surfaces. The improvement seems to be the arrangement by which the bristles are fed continuously to the machine at one end, while they are received at the other ready for use. Beferring to Plate VII, Figs. 1 and 4, the crank on the shaft E in¬ dicates the point where the power is applied. Rotary motion is im¬ parted to the shafts P and T by means of worm gearing shown in Fig. 4. The large pulley B, which carries the traveling platform W, is driven by the belt from pulley Q. The flat leather belts y y y rest upon the traveling platform and pass around the cylinders a a, which are revolved by crossed belts from pulleys C C to pulleys B B. The rubbing device, which corresponds to the board with its India rubber edge in the machine just described, consists of a round band stretched over the grooved pulleys S S, the lower branch of which passes through a groove in the under side of the frame V and is pressed down in close contact with the central leather belt y, which is in turn supported on the traveling platform, as above described. The central portions of the shafts P and T are squared, so as to insure rotation of the grooved pul¬ leys S S, and at the same time to permit free motion to the latter in the direction of their axes. The frame V is attached to the pulleys S S in such a manner as to carry them with it in its sliding motion without interfering wfltli their rotation. Jointed to the side of the frame V are two connecting-rods, J J, fitted to adjustable eccentrics h h on the small shaft (I. A belt around pulleys F and L drives this shaft, which, by means of the eccentrics and connecting-rods, gives a reciprocating mo¬ tion to the sliding frame V and produces a rubbing of the round belt upon the flat belt under it. All the motions described are communi¬ cated to the different parts of the machine by the revolution of the shaft E. Bristles to be “turned” or “separated” are spread evenly across the middle of the three belts y yy while the machine is in motion, and are carried under the round belt on the pulleys S S. The round belt, with its oscillating motion, operates on the “beard” of the bristles exactly the same as the rubbing board of the machine previously de¬ scribed. The important difference between the two machines consists in the adaptation of the latter to continuous operation, thereby saving the time that would otherwise be lost in stopping to introduce or re¬ move the bristles in separate lots. Plates VIII and IX represent an ingenious device for effecting the same object by means of another peculiarity of the bristle, viz, the fact that the center of gravity is not coincident with the center of fig¬ ure, but is nearer the root end, so that a bristle, when dropped in a still atmosphere, will fall butt end downwards. The splayed flag, operating like the feathers on an arrow, also assists to produce the same result. The apparatus represented in the plates referred to was devised and patented by Alfred S. Miles, of Brooklyn. X. Y., in 1881, and it is not known whether it is yet in practical operation. Fig. 1, Plate VIII, is a perspective view, showing the arrangement of the principal parts, viz, the funnel S (dowm which the bristles are dropped), the chute T, and the re¬ ceiving-tray A. The chute T does not en irely intercept the fall of the bristles, being only sufficiently inclined to direct them into the revolving tray at its mouth. The converging ribs or ridges on the bottom of the chute are designed to prevent the bristles from turning as they descend, and to insure their discharge butt end foremost into the receiving tray. A motion of rotation about its vertical axis is given the tray, in order that the bristles shall be evenly distributed and lie parallel to each other, with their flags toward the chute. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, Plate IX, are different 19 views of the parts shown in Fig. 1, with some details added which will be readily understood. After turning by either of the methods described, the bristles will be found to lie with their flags nearly all in the same direction. A few, however, always escape the “turning,” and recourse is had to a very simple but ingenious process for drawing out those whose “roots” still remain among the “flags.” The workman, holding them in bundles firmly by the root ends, draws the “flags” over a very flue sieve until all the unturned bristles have been caught by their root bulbs in the meshes and pulled out. These are finally withdrawn from the sieve by hand, reversed, and returned to the bundle. Turned riflings are some¬ times “dragged” to sizes by the process already described, and some¬ times sold as “taper” stock, to mix with “dragging” for the lower grades of painters’ tools, &c. Some of the more extensive brush man¬ ufacturers buy their stock in the “raw” state and dress it themselves, doing much of the work, however, especially the combing, by hand, even when power is available and used for other purposes. They get their supplies trom small colle