The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-12-22
SHOPPING NOTES
BUYER of Dry Goods Need Not
Take Clerks Word.

Agricultural College, Corvallls.
Women are the great shoppers OF
the world; it is they who buy the
large output of cotton and wooden
mills linen and silk manufactures
DO they transact this immense bust
ness wisely and intelligently? The
MANY and varied authorizations of tex
tile fabrics are evidences Of the lack
of serious and conscientious business
nrinciples or the most deplOrable lg
norance of the fabrics daily used.
What was the matter with the last
dress purchased? Did it fade; did II
shrink badly; did it go to pieces
when rubbed on the washing board
did it look like linen-smooth and
gIossy-and then after washing look
coarse and dull; did it spot, did it
prove to be of more cotton than
wool, although you were assured
that it was "all WOOL? In fact, did
you simply take clerks word for
the purity of the fabric rather than
your own judgment?
There are a few simple tests that
may be used which would aid ma
terially in the selection of textile
fabrics. Do not go by looks alone.
Get sample of the material and test
in the following ways:
For Fading.-COver one end of the
sample with a piece of cardboard.
Expose the rest to sunlight for a
number of days and then note the
effect.
For Shrinkage.-Measure the length
and width Of your sample. Dip in
hot water, or wash it with warm
water and soap. Is it very much
shorter or narrower? Would it shrink
a great deal in yard?
For Strength.-Where strength in
wearing and washing is desired, place
the thumbs and first fingers over the
cloth, pressing down hard and pull
ing the cloth in. both directions
with the warp and with the wool.
Do you find the threads weakened?
Is one set of threads much stronger
than the other?
Materials are sometimes weak be-
cause of imperfections in the weave,
or because one set of threads is
stronger than the others. Hold the
sample toward the light and see if
you can detect a difference.
Cords running only one way weak
en- materials. Cords running both
ways give strength. Loosely woven
cloth catches on splinters, nails and
other sharp things. Closely woven
cloth is more satisfactory.
For Finishing.-Rub the material in
the hands or pick at the surface with
the finger nail. Does the starch
come out? Wet the finger and rub
on the cloth? When the cloth dries
has the gloss disappeared?
Sometimes cotton cloth which has
been on the market for some time
is weakened by the action of the
chemicals used in bleaching, dyeing
or in the sizing. This may be de-
tected by tearing the cloth.
Beware Of lOw-priced cotton goods
with thick gloss or pasty look
They are probably filled with starch.
Do not expect linen at cotton prices.
Linen is much more expensive than
cotton, and when linen prices are
paid linen should be demanded. Since
the two fibers are rather hard to
distinguish, especially when heavily
sstarched, and given a good finish, it
is quite easy to deceive the buyer.
Linen" collars are frequently large
1y cotton; 'linen" handkerchiefs
may not have thread Of linen, as
is likely to be the case with rather
inexpensive embroidered handker.
chiefs; table linen" may lie mer-
ecaIlized cotton, cotton and linen or
even ordinary cotton.
For Spotting.-Shake some drops
of water on the sample Does it
ucfr uyh
dried? Hang out piece of cloth
of sun and rain. Does it loose it's
color and become gray and dull?
To prevent spotting, lay a damp
cloth on the wrong side of the ma
terial, roll the two together and
when evenly damp, unroll and press
through the damp cloth with partly
hot iron; press until cloth is thor
Oughly dried
Tests for Cotton or Wool.-Ravel a
few threads at the edge of the ma
terial and pull them partially off and
burn them. Is the odor offensive,
like burning hair? Test the threads
of both warp and wool If the odor
differs, one set of threads may be
wool, while the other might be all
cotton or mixed cotton and WOOL
Another burning test shows that
cotton burns rapidly, while wool
burns slowly and chars.
A practical test may be made by
boiling sample in a five per cent
solution of caustic potash for twenty
minutes. The wool becomes dis
solved and the cotton remains. If
the material is all wool there will be
nothing left
A mixture of cotton and wool when
wet wrinkles more than pure wool.
Tests for Cotton or Linen.-The
old test of moistening the finger and
putting it under the cloth is not
always a sure one, as the moisture
will not come through heavy linen
or one with starch in it, and it will
come through sheer, tightly twisted
cotton. A better test is to put a
drop of olive oil on the cloth and
press between blotting paper. The
linen become more transparent than
the cotton.
Linen is cooler to the touch than
cotton.