p. 14 | KEEPING THE FURS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jun 28, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 26.

KEEPING THE FURS.

A resourceful friend of mine, who is a famous housekeeper, uses old linen sheets for wrapping the furs before placing them in box or barrel. Sheets are selected that are too old and thin for other use, and they are kept for this purpose from year to year, as they would not be fit to use on the beds after their summer service in fur storing, especially if oil of cedar is used as a moth preventive. She saturates small balls of cotton batting with the oil of cedar, and pins them to the sheets in which the furs are to be wrapped. It is almost impossible to confine the oil to the batting, however, and the sheets will come from the storeroom badly stained. Many object to the very useful oil of cedar because of its strong odor; but those who have tested it find that the odor soon passes off after the furs are taken from the storeroom. In fact, it does not cling to them after thorough ventilation half as long as the odor of camphor and many other preventives. Sheets of newspaper are often more highly recommended than cotton or linen sheets for wrapping expensive furs before storing them, as there is something about the printer's ink that proves disagreeable to the moths. The sheets must be especially prepared for this purpose, however. In order to wrap the large fur securely, the newspapers must be pasted to form sheets of the right size, and this pasting must be so firm that no cracks through which a moth may find a chance to enter will be left. It is best to provide two or three newspaper sheets for each piece of fur.

Large, tough paper bags will be the best receptacle for small capes and neck pieces. Several of these—wrapped separately in newspaper as an extra precaution—may be placed in one bag if the large, strong bags such as are used by butchers may be secured.

If any of the usual moth preventives are used in connection with the thorough wrappings, it will be unwise to have them come in contact with the fur. Altho few will leave the reddish stain peculiar to the oil of cedar, there is always danger of discoloration, especially with the light furs. It is always safest to wrap the oil saturations in waxed paper, and the balls or powders in tissue-paper, before placing among the furs. These will retain their strength throughout the summer, and need not be removed from their paper wrappings, or replaced by fresh preventives, when the furs are taken from their storage places for periodical shaking and brushing.

—Selected.