Evening star., 1924-03-28
4 LTHoUGH the season will soon

~ be over for the wearing OF
~ furs, especially fur coats. il
is nevertheless a good time
now to buy furs for next winter. as
prices will be considerably reduced
Tor a while, and the merchant that
you buy from will usually be glad
10 store the garment for you until
next winter free of charge, that is,
II you buy from a firm of recognized
standing, which you should always do
VI course this ought to be done when
ouylng anything, but il is especially
' important to do so when buying furs
because even an expert can be de-
ceiNed sometimes in the selection of
durs.
Before buying furs be sure OF your
uehnite requirements. For instance
~ IL necessary for you to select furS
lhat Will look well and stand hard
wear season after season, or can you
anord to indulge in the furs that have
uecoratlye value all out of proper
ton to their wearing qualities? All
furs are composed of two different
sroWths, namely, under-fur and over
hair. The under-fur is the thick,
doWny wool that covers the skin and
provides warmth and durability to
the fur. The oVer-hair, which varies
IN length and thickness, according TO
the animal upon which it grows. is
straight, smooth and glossy. This
oVer-hair prevents the under-fur from
becoming matted.
IL warmth is the important quality
required, choose seal. sable or otter,
All OF which come from animals that
live in severely cold countries. These
1urS also combine durability and
richness in the highest degree.
Among tho less expensive furs which
answer these requirements in n lesser
degree are beaver, skunk. mink and
Baum marten.
Haven't YOU often wondered what
hudson seal really is" Well, the gem
nlne Hudson seal is muSkrat dyed Il
seal color after the guard hairs have
been clipped, or il may be nutria.
Both of these, as well as many
others, are excellent when sold hon
estly upon their own merits II is
only when common furs, which will
not stand wear and tear, are repre-
scented as being the furS of higher
quality that imitation becomes fraud.
rake cat and rabbit fur. for instance.
although they are excellent in color,
weight and warmth, they are not in
tended for rough wear, but for furS
or medium wear they are good and
not expensive. If a purchaser knows
a fur for what it is, and it will
answer the purpose. there is then no
question of being cheated, of course.
The skins of most of the water
animals, such seal, beaver and
TnuSkrat, have superior wearing quail
furs is skunk, and the natural red
foN gives good service either in its
natural state or when dyed. Among
tho beautiful but perishable furs are
listed chinchilla, moleSkin, white fox,
ermlnc, tinted marmot and all OF the
lambs.
Dyed fur is not as durable as
natural fur because of the chemicals
used i'll the process of dyeing, but
when the natural C0lOrinS OF Il fur
piece is not good. but the underfur
and overhair are of exceptional quail
ity, dyeing adds to the value without
much increase in cost. When buying
dyed furS, however, be sure to feel
The skin to find out whether or not
u has been sc0rched in the process.
II it is in good condition, it will be
pliable, soft and Of a uniform texture.
Another test is to take the fur
in both hands and twist ii with a ro-
tary motion. If il has been ScOrched
il will feel stiff and will Crackle like
paper, and, of course, would go 10
pieces if subjected to hard wear.
Scorched skins are the reason for
many fur bargains.
Give Furs the Right Care.
Tho care of furs in warm weather
Is especially important, but Euarding <
them from moths is not enough. Cold
storage in perfectly dry atmosphere
is the ideal way, as this nearly
approaches the naural conditions un-
der which the fur was grown as is
the next best place should be found.
They should never be stored in an
attic, as this is usually a hot place.
AS heat dries out the natural oils
that keep the skins soft and pliable
and the furs lustrous, it is very i'm
portant TO clean and store them
away early in the spring.
While cold storage plants and cedar
chests make excellent storage places
for furs that are clean and free from
moths, they are bad places for furs
that contain moth eggs. Seclusion,
cold storage, chemicals. tobacco, cay
and other so-CaIlcd preventivcs are
all entirely useless unless the furs
have been properly treated before
heiug stored by being thoroughly
cleaned to get rid Of any moth eggs.
Furs that have been dyed require
greater care, with the exception of
Alaska seal, skunk and raccoon, but
moths will not attack dyed furs if
and more valuable fuTs.
Before putting furs away, clean
every Solled spot. Shake well and
hang in the wind for several hours.
Place them on the clothes line or lay
Them on a fiat surface and beat every
inch with a rattan or light stick or
bamboo cane, the kind 10 which pen
nantS are attached. Moths eggs are
IS very minute, so do not trust your
eyes TO do the finding. Use the rat
tan or bamboo cane. After beating,
shake the furs, then hang them in the
air again and wrap or sew them up
in cotton or linen bags. Unless you
are going to put them in cold storage
or in d cedar chest or closet, they
should be placed in a stout paste
board box with n strip of paper or
muslin pasted over the edges where
top and bottom meet
1t is safest 10 examine valuable
furs about every two months. Be
very careful when beating furs, as
some skins are easily bruised. The
skins of chnchilla, crmine, cony,
squirrel, muskrat mole and Persian
lamb, as well as aStrakhan, are not