For laying fine color no better brush can be had than the camel 's-hair brush, called by some mottlers, by others blenders, and again by others spal-ters, each term, however, is foreign to the American painter, and the camel's-hair brush is by far the most appropriate, and most commonly used. The hair used in these brushes, however, is not all taken from the camel, much of it being from the tail of the Russian brown squirrel. The hair is first cut from the tail with scissors, the wool or under fur combed out, and then tied in bunches ready to be straightened. This requires skill and practice. The hair is placed in metal cups having a thick, loaded bottom, and by quick motion of the hand, drummed on the bench for a considerable time, until the pointed or fine ends are all even with each other. In the process of cutting and cupping the lengths are kept separate as far as possible. The hair is now ready for the brush-maker, who cups and combs it out, weighs the quantity required, and places it into the ferrules or tin bands. It requires skill to handle the short, slippery hair and keep it in shape. It is not many years since work of this kind was all done abroad. Now, it is claimed by experts that the American manufacture of most kinds of brushes excels the foreign goods.

The chiseled camel's-hair brush is something entirely new, and is certainly a very fine brush and well calculated to do smooth, particular work. Another class of these goods are made extra thick and from picked camel 's-hair, the binding of brass having its edge turned under, which gives additional security to the hair and prevents cutting the hair on the edge of the binding, which too frequently happens.