DISAPPEARING FURS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1868, 30 September 1913, Page 8

DISAPPEARING FURS.

Before packing furs for the summer months, they should be freed from every particle of dust that might be clinging to them. For all dark furs, such as fox, skunk, seal, mole, and so forth, the old idea of baked bran, sifted through a dredger cannot be improved upon. However, care must be taken that every portion of the fur is treated, and that no injury is dono to it when removing the particles of bran, lo jerk the ends of a fur with violence, while freeing it from the brail, is to crncl: and tear the delicate fibres of the skin. Shake lightly, and if tins treatment does not result in entirely removing the bran use very gently a fine comb, "taking care to clean it at frequent intervals. Tedious as this process may be, most women piefer it to tho use of petrol, which, though rapid in its results, is rather dangerous, the spirit being \ery volatile, and requiring for safety to be employed only in the open air. ■ Two methods are open for the packin<r of furs after they have been cleansed. Either they must be hermetically sealed, or els.o placed m unbleached calico bags, so they may be removed and exposed to the sun and air at frequent intervals. In tho former case tho fur must be well sprinkled on either side with insect powder, then wrapped in many shades of tissue paper, with carbon balls, or if the odour of these he objected to, camphor squares. The packet is then put into a tin 'box, of which tho lid fits tightly. Tins is enclosed in an ample sheet of strong brown paper, the edges being gummerf down securely, and the folds at the end aff'xed with a plentiful snpplv of sealing wax. If this method of parking be efheientlv carried out there will be 110 need to disturb the furs until they are renuired again in the autumn. But- it tliev are merely placed with the powder and tho carbon or napthalino in an 01dinarv cardboard box, it wdl be ndvisabln to examine them every month to make sure that the fatal moth has not effected an entry. At eaeli examination thev should be well shaken and then given a bath of snnhaht and fresh air bofnro replacing them. Should tho moth attack the furs, it is by no means sufficient to remove the eggs. Nothing will suffice bub to send tho article without dela'v to a reliable working furrier, who will at once subject it frt Hm proper degree of heat, and treat it afterwards in a scientific manner.