Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-03-21
CARE OF FINE BOOKS.
v.Iuable suggestions obtained from
weII-Known Bibiiopoie.

Valuable Suggestiohs
weII-Known Bibiiopote'
ronresentatiye of the American An
alyst called upon well-knoWh pip,io'
mole of New York City for Information
respecting the care of fne DOCKS,
hon,r - said the expert, lis dellcate
',n,,a,ioation whose foes are perpetu-
ally endeavoring to destroy IT, ana i'S
foes are legion. Water, moisture fuaunP
ness on the one hand, and excessive afy-
moss on the other, are both extremely
injurious. A high temperature dries
paper. parchment and leather. ana rem
ders them very brittle. In the opposite
direction great cold affects books In 'io
same manner, but to a much smaller eN'
tent For this reason Swede or Nah-
adiop has a harder time with his library
than "A Frenchman, an Englishhian UT
an American But the hardest tiihe
of all is experienced by the resi-
dents OF hot climates like South
ern India, Egypt, Brazil and 20
lombia. Another dangerous enemy 10
all books is what is usually termeo
mold. This is not simple veg
etable growth, as is popularity believed
Microscopists have discovered over a
hundred species of mold with which
libraries arc afflicted. Some attack
paper; others parchment: some fatten
on sheepskin. while others prefer mo-
rocco for diet. There is hardly sub
stance of any sort used in bookmaklng
but what has anywhere from two 10
ten different molds which find In IL a
home or n source of nourishment. In
sects are the cause of endless trouble.
Flies and spiders merely soil books;
moths and butterflies lay eggs which
hatch into ,pracious and destructive
larve. These do any amount of dam
are. | have seen rare and valuable
volumes which had been bored through
and through by these minute pests.
Ants do little or no harm in temperate
ATTITUDES, but are a scourge in the trop-
les. A colony of white ants has fire.
quentlv been known to devour not only
library, but also the book cases in
which the books were kept. In pro-.
viding against these dangers lit
tie common sense Will suggest
all requisite remedies. A library
should be kept clean, Weli-dust-
cd and thoroughly ventilated. A
hard wood, marble or mosaic floor with
rugs is far better than a carpeted
one. For the same reason wooden or
leather furniture is superior to the
handsomest products in silk and wool
of the upholsterer's art. In respect to
heating. CRATE fire either of coal Oh
the old-fashioned one of wood is the
best Dry hot-air from registers or fur
naces, is too desiccating, while gas
stove or oil stove is ruinous. For fight
ing mold and insect life thete are a
number of good methods. Pieces OF
/ camphor. menthol and tobacco are of
great value. They should be placed in
/ book eases on every shelf. Pulverized
/ salicylic acid sprinkled over the books
and shelves is probably the best. 1t is
colorless, tastelesS and odorless, and
has no action either chemical or me-
chanical upon the books. Spraying a
bookcase with weak solution of zorro
/ sive sublmate has been recommended
but | do not like the idea of playing
with so powerful a poison. Last of all,
in using fine books put on tempo
rary cover before you begin reading"