Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-07-10
WOMAN'S WORLD.
Storage of Furs.

"Furs are easy enough to keep during
warm weather." said a storer of furs
the other day when approached on the
subject. eff ladies would only use a
few simple preventives, they could keep
them at home as well as we can in our
storerooms. Of course fur garment is
better hung up than folded away in a
box or trunk-first, because there is
less danger of crushing and wrinkles;
second, because moths can be more
readily seen at their work. The best
plan is to select dark closet and have
it papered all over, top and bottom,
with tar paper AS its surface is sticky,
it should be covered with a second coat
of paper to prevent the clothes coming
in direct contact with the tar. For this
second coat find newspapers as good as
anything that can be used. Perhaps the
smell of printers ink helps the tar do
its work, Or it may be because newspa-
per is porous and allows the tar odor to
come through more readily. Before
hanging in this closet all garments,
both fur and wool, should be carefully
beaten with a slender cane.
Here is the great secret of keeping
furs-it is in cleaning them before they
nre put away. If a moth or a moth egg
goes into the closet with them the dam
age is only partially prevented. While
the egg will hatch the moth only lives
for a short while and cannot increase,
but during that brief life have known
these little insects to spoil the beauty
of an elegant garment. So the greatest
care should be taken to beat and comb
furs clean before storing them away.
For this purpose fur comb should be
used, or slender, strong cane, that
will reach the skin itself. The safest
plan is to remove the garments from
the closet about once month and give
them thorough beating. Some persons
hang them in the sun on these occa-
sions, believing that the sun destroys
moths and moth eggs, while, as a mat
ter of fact, it matches the eggs, and,
like any other heat, makes the moth
thrive.
"Where only chest or trunk or, as
Is sometimes the case, only pasteboard
box is to be had, then the management
is ulueIGul. Allef luc CletuluS pIOCeSs,
which is always the same, it is best for
the chest, box or trunk to be lined with
tar paper, after the same manner as the
closet. But where this is not practica-
BILE any of the numerous moth prevent
ives may be used. Though sold under
different names their ingredients are
about the same. They should be care
fully sewed in bags to prevent contact
with the furs, as they invariably leave
spots Oh dark colored skins The odor
can be overcome by thorough beating
and hanging for several hours in the
wind or open air-that is, where the
furs have been removed and beaten dur
ing the season; otherwise the odor is
hard to get rid of.
"Some dealers use the fumes of sui
phur to clean furs already attacked by
moths, but that should be last resort,
as it discolors the garment and necessi-
tates it being redyed. Many of the old
fashioned preventives have some virtue
in them, as sassafras, china root, etc,
and can be used to advantage by people
in the country where they are easily OBJ
tanned, but persons in the city have bet
ter means within their reach. "-Ex-
change.