Evening star., 1902-04-26
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HOLD
| lINTS

Along with the flowers of spring comes
a gay procession of other life not quite so
poetical that keeps the housekeeper both
on the defensive and offensive. Moths, car
pet bugs, feas, flies. large and small; yell
low Jackets and other insects still more OBJ
jectionable feel the genial warmth of the
sun, and proceed without the formality of
an invitation to make themselves at home
in the family circle.
To prevent their entrance is far better
than to rout them when once settled. Few
things are more aggravating than to find
Pauls dress suit the rugs In the back par
lOr or Mabels furs eaten by moths. There
is a general impression that tobacco moth
balls, pepper or camphor will suffice to
keep away moths. but sad experience proves
that it is not so. Indeed, they often seem
to have a prediction for odors of this
sort, and to wax fat in their environment.
In protecting woolens from moths cleanli-
ness is one of the first requisites. A soiled
garment invites attack and nothing should
be put away until cleaned as thoroughly as
possible Articles that cannot be washed
Should be carefully brushed and beaten. All
the pockets of garments should be turned
inside out. brushed and then turned back
again, and every soft spot cleanSed. AS
soon as any garment is clean, fold sepa-
rately and very smoothly, and wrap in
newspaper or clean pieces Of cotton or
linen. When many things are to be put
away at the same time select a bright sun
shiny day get all your paraphernalia of
wrapping papers, cord, muslin and articles
| to be packed together and make business
of it. Have the chest, barrel or box in
which they are to be packed wiped out
perfectly clean with a damp cloth, so that
not particle of dust fingers. Paste news
papers all around the sides and bottom
| being sure there are no cracks where a mil
| Ter can get in. Dry thoroughly by the
4 lytt tlha ctr to h.
| in the articles which have been aired,
| brushed, wrapped and marked so that YOU
| can tell what is in each package without
| unwrapping. Keep list you go on of
| all that is in the packing box or barrel
| and when finished paste on the outside
| When the receptacle is full cover the top
| with several thicknesses of newspaper,
pasting all around the edge.
In putting away velvet or cloth hats for
! the summer brush carefully with hat
brush, fill out the loops and bows with soft
| tissue paper and pin the hat In a sheet of
| the same, then lay carefully in a hat box
/ and paste newspaper all around where the
! lid joins the box. If you have no box put
! In large. clean paper flour bags or bags
| made of cheap unbleached cotton, tie
| closely and hang up on wall.
| A kerosene barrel is said to make an in
! sect-proof receptacle for furs and all wooden
goods.
1t is the part Of wisdom to examine the
| edges of the carpet often in the spring If
| the carpet is not to be taken from the floor
| remove the tacks, turn back a half yard
| all around the room, wipe the floor and
spray with benZine in the cracks or use a
| little carbOlic acid in the water Then re-
place the carpet. cover with damp sheet
| and iron with hot fatiron, This Will pro-
duce sufficient heat to destroy both the
moths and all their larvae.
| Upholstered furniture may be protected
from the ravages of moths by spraying two
| or three times during the summer with
| naphtha or benzine. If you have no regu-
lar sprayer, take a small watering not
| such as is used for sprinklng house plants
and sprinkle in April, June and August
! These materials will not harm the most
| delicate fabrics, and the unpleasant odor
| soon passes off, if the article is placed in
the air. Care must be taken not to carry
| on this work near the fire or by gaslight on
| account of the infiammability of the agents
| employed.
The "cricket on the hearth" is all right
so long as he does not see fit to attack
your curtains, garments or rugs. This
| however, these musical little creatures are
| quite apt to do, evidently from sheer wan
tonness. In one night a path was gnaWed
across an entire figure in handsome Turk
ish rug and the case is recorded of a suit
Of clothing just from the tailor, being