The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-05-22
GUARDING AGAINST MOTHS
How to Treat Furs and FIanneis Beforc
Storing.

now 20 Ireab Fuxo Gnu EAohsaOAD AS~s~~~
Storing.
The buffalo moth has become 80
troublesome that even scientists have
been forced to take up the study OF tins
pest, and try to devise some means ~
guarding against, or discriminating II.
But these studies have, up to dnte, been
of little benefit to amateurs and house
keepers generally.
The amount of damage that -four
ishing colony of well-established buI-
fulo moths can do in a few weeks can
scarcely be appreciated save by those
who have studied the peculiarities of
this infiiction. The careless house
keeper finds her best woolens per-
forated with unsightly borrowings.
and even silk fabrics do not escape such
injury.
1t is necessary to begin early in the
season and exercise untiring vigilance
in order to rid the house of these I'M
welcome squatters. Every wooden ar
ticle should be taken out into the sun
and allowed to hang for at least two or
three days, of course removing them to
the house during the night. The
warmth of the sun matches the eggs;
then the young moths fly away, and as
they mature rapidly, they may be kept
out of the house if one has window
screens put in early in the season.
The ordinary, old-fashioned moth is
not SO numerous as it was before the ar
rival of it's buffalo relatives, and in
many houses the original species is
rarely seen. Carpets in rooms that arc
but little used may be protected by
sprinkling tobacco dust or salt over
them and brushing it in. Ii the moths
are in the carpet, however, the best
thing is to wash it thoroughly with
benzine or naphtha. This must be
used with the utmost care, as there has
been number of serious accidents and
explosions on account of the vapor
coming in contact with fire.
If there are many moths in the carpet
It is much better to send it to profess
sional cleaner Then it is steamed and
entirely freed from insects and eggs.
Almost every season there are in
quiries as to the best moth prevent
ives. In answer to this, it can only he
said that there is no preventive of
moths once they get into goods, except
by steaming or heating. A plan fol-
lowed by one houskeeper has worked
very well. She provided clean barrel.
had the hoops securely nailed, and the
nails battered down on the inside so
that there was nothing to catch or tear,
then the barrel was placed over a reg
lister and the heat turned on. In this
barrel articles of wearing apparel were
hung and allowed to remain two or
three hours or until thoroughly heate!
through. In this way all of the eggs of
the moths were destroyed. Then the
garments are shaken and brushed and
packed away. This is probably the
surest way to get rid of moths in fam
nels.
F'urs cannot be treated in this way,
because the heat Injuries them. They
must be placed out in the sun, and
beaten with light rods until they are
presumably safe. Then they should be
examined thoroughly, and if one I'M
derstands it. they may be combed with
a comb made expressly for this purpose.
Any attempt TO keep clothing from
moths by putting in camphor and i'll
smelling things is quite likely to prove
failure. 1t has not been success in
many instances, and those who trust
elegant articles to such a process are
very likely, when the need comes for
using them, to find them almost, if not
altogether, worthless.-N. Y. Ledger.