The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-09-20
Efficient Housekeeping
 By LAURA A. HERMAN.
HOW TO KNOW PURE LINEN.

Linen is much more expensive than cotton and when linen prices are paid, linen should be received by the purchaser-not just good imitation of linen. Every housewife, as the buyer of household supplies for the family, should feel it her duty to learn to know pure linen when she sees it.
 Linen was formerly the most i'm. portant vegetable fiber, but of late years it has been largely replaced by cotton for household uses. The linen fibre is long, smooth and lustrous when spun into a thread. It is very strong and has not so many fuzzy ends as cotton has. Cloth made from it stays clean longer than cotton cloth because of its smoothness, and of course 1t is handsomer because of it's lustre- Good linen yarn is round and twisted if the yarn is fiat and loosely twisted the material will not wear as we'll.
 It is more difficult to choose a me- dium-priced piece of linen wisely than to choose a more expensive and finer grade because substitutions for various finishes and strong fibre may be made to lower the price while they give the same appearance. Linen even the best-always contains certain amount of sizing, for the yarn would become rough in weaving if the sizing were omitted. But too often sizing Is used to conceal imper- fectiors or to conceal the use of cot ton or mercerized cotton flores. When heavily starched and given a good finish, so-called linen" collars are often largely cotton; inexpensive linen handkerchiefs which are ern- broidered are apt to be cotton in dis guise, also. Without training or study along these lines, the inexperienced purchaser had better buy her linen only of reliable firms.
 By training and study I mean ex- perimentation with the following:
 Tests to Tell Pure Linen-The sim plest is the Oil Test: Put a drop of olive oil on linen, then press the cloth between two white plotting papers; if it is pure linen 1t will be- come quite transparent whereas if 1t is cotton, or adulterated linen, the oil spot will hardly be transparent at all Another Simple Test Examine | threads carefully. Cotton Is made up of short flores which project from the fuzzy when the thread is rubbed be- tween the fingers; linen thread will not became fuzzy when rubbed in this | way. Also when broken, a cotton thread has a tufted end, while the | linen flores break more unevenly and leave a more pointed end. A linen thread is stronger than cotton thread.
 Water Test-App1y a drop of water to the material (get a sample before l purchasing the linen, If possible, to | experiment. on). On linen the water drop will spread and evaporate quick ", Wntle on co1Ion tiiS taAeS pidce
 Tearing Test - Tear the sample across the material. Pure linen is hard to tear. gives out a sharp. shrt11 l sound when torn, and leaves a smooth torn edge, Cotton is easy to tear, gives out a muffled sound, and leaves | a curled edge.
 | Burning Test - Apply lighted match to ends of the threads; if pure linen, the burned ends are sharp, smooth and even. but if cotton they will resemble a paint brush. | Glycerine-Drop Test-Put a dror | of glycerine on a sample; if pure | linen, it will form a transparent spot | but if cotton it will not be absorbed at allIwi1 roll up as if it were mer- | cury.
 All inquiries addressed to Miss
 Krkman in care of the Efficient
 Housekeeping department will be
 answered in these columns in their
 turn. This requires considerable
 time, however, owing to the grea!
 number received. So if a personal Or quicker reply is desired, a stamped | and se1f-ad dressed envelope must be
 enclosed with the question-Editor
 RANSACK BALL PLAYERS HOUSE
 A gold watch and fob, presented to
 Neal Ball by the Boston Red Sox fir
 1912, was stolen from the players residence at AS Wflmot avenue yes terday afternoon. while he was per | forming with the New Haven team al | Newheld park. The house was thoroughly ransacted