

BRUSHES 



|:|;l -I IKS \\|) HKOOMS MATERIALS 



by the supply available and the necessities of the people. 

 St.- in (Ancient Khotan, 1907, 333) figures and describes what is v.-rv 

 Iv th<- most ancient specimen in existence. This was found at 

 Diintlan-Uiliq (a city abandoned in the 8th century). The lower por- 

 tions of some grass were seen to have been plaited into a continuous 

 strip, then rolled round and secured firmly by a string, thus forming 

 a broom, which in every detail agrees with the corresponding article 

 of modern India. 



Indian-made brushes are principally of the bazar-type and are, therefore, 

 mainly of local interest. Two firms, the " Pioneer Army Brush Co." of 

 Cawnpore, and " Messrs. P. Thompson " of Coonoor, Madras, manufacture 

 brushes of the European pattern. Both firms gave some prominence a 

 few years ago to the use of kittul-fibre (fbtri/offt in-cus) in place of bristles, 

 from the belief that the sowars or Native cavalry would prefer vegetable 

 fibre to animal bristles. Although Indian-made brushes may now be 

 seen all over India, particulars are not available of the actual extent of 

 manufacture. There is moreover a very considerable import by India 

 from Europe of brushes, but complete statistics are not available. We 

 read, for example, that from the United Kingdom there were received in 

 1903, 2,891 dozen brushes valued at 8,910. 



Materials. Turning now to the materials used . It would be undesirable 

 to attempt a complete enumeration of all the substances which in India 

 are employed, or which might be so, for brushes or brooms. Even in 

 Europe the variety and diversity are extraordinary e.g. bristles, kittul, 

 broom, rattan, whalebone, wood, rushes, wire, spun-glass (specially 

 serviceable for contact with acids), etc., etc. India at the same time 

 exports a very considerable quantity of brush-making materials including 

 both vegetable fibres and bristles, and the trade would appear to be 

 improving. Thus in 1899-1900 the total exports were 54,388 cwt., valued Exports, 

 at Rs. 11,49,998; whereas in 1903-4 they were 83,258 cwt., valued at 

 Rs. 20,76,331 ; and in 1906-7, 88,158 cwt., valued at Rs. 17,68,930. Al- 

 though in point of quantity Madras takes by far the largest share, viz. 

 79,350 cwt. in 1903-4 and 85,203 cwt. in 1906-7, the goods it exports are 

 much lower priced (viz. Rs. 9,70,328 in 1903-4 and Rs. 9,71,212 in 1906-7) 

 than those sent from Bengal (viz. 3,296 cwt., valued at Rs. 9,60,571 in 1903-4, 

 and 2,360 cwt., valued at Rs. 6,52,827, in 1906-7). The Bengal exports 

 are mainly in high-priced bristles. Of these Bengal exports for 1903, Ensues. 

 Rs. 5,75,790 represented the value of the bristles sent to England, whilst 

 only Rs. 22,470 were attributable to vegetable brush-fibres with the same 

 destination. The total exports of brush-making materials from all 

 India to Great Britain in 1903 were 17,943 cwt., valued at Rs. 10,38,909, 

 and of that amount Rs. 6,07,305 was the value of the Indian contribution 

 of bristles to the British supply. 



The following are some of the principal plants employed in brush- 

 making : 



Arenga saccharifera, Labm. (see p. 92). 



Arlstlda setacea, Retz. , Fl. Br. 2nd., vii., 225 ; GRAMINE.E. Broomstick- D.E.P., 

 grass, ehipur-gaddi, vina-pullalu, thodapga-pullu, etc. A reed three to four j t 312.' 

 feet in height, found in Western India from Bihar and the Konkan southward, 

 also in Ceylon, the Mascarene Islands, etc. The roots attain a length of 1 5 inches 

 to 3 feet and are said to be used in the manufacture of weavers' brushes in 

 Madras and along the west coast (Ind. Agri., Dec. 12, 1891). These roots are 

 collected in South India by Yerukalas (a nomad tribe) and sold to the weavers 

 at 3 or 4 annas a visa. The Telinga paper-makers construct their frames of the 



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