The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 5, 1917, Page 12

o AR s T e T SO X Edited by Alberta B. Toner esting Fabrics is Important E i Eh i E S S S e S S Methods For Detecting Different Types to Help the Housewife HERE are many simple tests from which the housekeeper may gain fairly accurate in- formation of standard ma- terials and of those which are below this mark. The wonders of cloth finishing at the present time make it difficult even for the expert to judge entirely by the appearance and feel. The only reliable tests are the scien- tific ones. : The best cloth is made of good stock with strength in the yarn and woven of an enduring pattern. It should have a standard weight, the finish should be developed from the stock and not placed superficially upon the goods. The appearance and the feel of cloth should be good, likewise the wearing quality. Physical tests aim to discover if these points are present or lacking. The standards are fabrics which have long been known as representa- tive and enduring. Variations in qual- ity and price are found, as for instance in serges of many values and Kinds. If the housekeeper learns the look, feel, weight, cost and worth of one reliable variety, others can be graded from that. Itach textile has special characteristics. A good way of testing the endur- ance of any material is by pressing the two thumbs together on the cloth, then pulling the material straight out, first warp way, then filling way. If it tears or frays in either - direction it shows lack of strength. To discover if material will bear strain in the seams the threads of the warp and woof should be tested to see if they move easily. If they can be pushed with the" finger nails without difficulty and are soft, the material is not strong and when strain is applied it will fray. Wool which is woven with a weal thin warp and heavy filling, .as is found in some poplins, shows a de- cided lack of endurance wherever there is a strain, or where one piece of cloth is apt to rub against another. THE BURNING TEST IS A USEFUL ONE Another test is burning. Animal and vegetable fibers burn differently. Wool burns slowly, goes out quickly, leaves a gummy residue and has a very dis- agreeable odor. Pure silk when burn- ing has the characteristics of wool, but to a less extent. Cotton and linen are vegetable fibers. C'otton burns very quickly and is diffi- cult to blow out. It often continues to smoulder until all is consumed. Linen burns much like cotton but is not so inflammable as it has less oil in the fiber and less air in the woven cloth. The tearing test may be used to de- termine whether the material is pure. Linen quickly torn will leave straight smooth threads along the edge of the tear, but cotton will curl up. One can soon become accustomed to the tearing sound of various materials. The noise of tearing cotton is unlike that of linen. The warp has a sharp shrill voice and the filling is of a dull dead sound. Silk tears idifferently than wool. A very good way to find the strength in warp and filling threads is to ravel the cloth both ways. In this way the yarn can be examined for strength or weakness, for the manner in which it is twisted, for ‘the length, purity or in- feriority of the fibers and ‘whether one kind of fiber or mixed fibers have been used in it. G Close, even, firm weaves are usually enduring. Loodse and open ones are apt to pull out of shape and look shab- by. The way a cloth has been woven is often its strength or weakness. Felted goods like broadcloth, can not be raveled. A very thin broadcloth usually lacks endurance, although beautiful to the eye. GIVING FABRICS SUFFICIENT WEIGHT Each fabric according to its use should have weight sufficient for .en- durance. Linen is purchased by weight and there is a standard num- ber of threads in the different linens, A good test of linen is to count the threads either way in an inch to see if they conform to the requirement. Closely woven cottons and linens are often filled with sizing and are not satisfactory after a few launderings. The tongue can often' detect sizing, or the finger nail can remove it. Another meang is by rubbing the material be- tween the hands to see if the surface dressing will come out. Mineral weighting in silk can be de- tected by placing the sample on a small dish and leaving it in a hot oven for about an hour. The pure silk will be consumed and the weighting will, until disturbed, remain in the form of the fabric. The endurance of wash materials de- pends greatly on the careful treatment in the : laundry. Doubtful materials should be tested for fading, shrinkin, and tearing. : Efforts are being made to secure some degree of standardization of tex- tiles offered in general trade so that - the nature and quality may be judged from the labels. An intelligent inter- est on the part 'of the consumers will greatly strengthén''this movement. Growing Flowers For Money A profitable field of asters, showing a line of work that has proved Flowers bring even more money than vegetables, in spite of war-high prices, and some women have found growing flowers so profitable in the past, that they are preparing to market them again this year. ‘While the potato planting fever was seizing many townspeople, and potatoes were at $3 a bushel, there were women who looked past next harvest time and figured that' there was a better chance for potatoes to get cheap than for flowers to become a drug on the market. Properly cultivated flowers, planted to come on in sufficient quantities to meet a regular demand, have no diffi- culty in finding a market. Staple varieties such as asters, pansies, and attractive to women others are especially favored. Where it is known that a person is growing flowers the trade comes to one's door to a great extent, and it is surprising to know how often emergency calls for flowers overwhelm the few flower growers ‘who make this a money propo- sition in the Northwest. Egos as Substitute for Meat Nearly everybody likes eggs, and their use as meat substitutes placss them as one of our most desirable foods. The ease with which they may be prepared, their relative freedom from waste and the numerous ways in which they may be served make it possible for eggs to be used -as one of the principal dishes of a meal. The present high price of eggs pro- hibits a generous use of them in cakes, puddings or, other desserts. The ease with which baking powder, cornstarch or gelatin may. be obtained, is such that the use of eggs to impart light- ness or to thicken liquids 'is not now essential as in the past, and eggs can be advantageously and economically used in other ways. As protein is the principal food ele- ment of eggs, they make good substi- tutes for meat, fish, milk, etc., without materially altering the proportion cf protein. consumed. Eggs also furnish fat and a number of mineral elements. They are also believed to be rich in certain necessary vitalizing elements called vitamines. Eggs do not contain substances coa- vertible in the body into uric acid. Their shells are the oply waste ma- terial. Ninety-seven per cent of tae portion eaten is digested. Eggs require no extended cooking, thereby saving time, labor and fuel when they are compared with many other foods. For all these reasons eggs deserve an im- portant place in the diet. Eggs vary so in size that a dozen large and a dozen small ones purchased at the same price per dozen may dif- fer as much as 25 per cent in the value of the food elements furnished. Possi- bly the fairest way to buy and sell eggs is by weight. It is also coming to be recognized that better results in recipes can be obtained by weigh- PAGE TWELVE ing or measuring eggs out of their shells. During the winter many people have to use storage eggs if their tables are supplied with this food at all. Because eggs have been held in cold storage, it does not necessarily mean that they are of low quality. Carefully handlcd cold storage eggs are often of better quality than fresh local egg» improp- erly cared for. Eggs may be advantageously pra- served in the home by packing them in a solution of water glass or lime water, or covering them with paraffin or varnish. Such eggs can be kept in good condition for a number of months. For everyday use, fresh eggs can be kept quite satisfactorily for two or three weeks in a dry cool cellar or refrigerator. ADVERTISEMENTS the great state of North Dakota. in and make this store thei Fair in Fargo, July 23-28, To Our Thousands - of Friends de Lendrecie’s store has been doin bdsiness vw.'th th p of the Northwest for the past 35 yegars. : faee During this time we hawe made thousands of business - friends and acquaintances, and today our store is the largest Department Store in — We want all our old friewds, and new ones, ploneers and everybod ) 3 € , to ¢ r headquarters while attendingrghe Iynter-sgzg Our store is here for service. We want to make it of mor ? the future than ever before. We have ample rest rooms agdu ;:etevi};%ut:“eg tend the most cordial invitation to you and your friends to use our store, gggsftfffi rooms and our entire force will be pleased to be of any service Plan to take a day or two off and comg “9 the Fair.and come in and see the oldest and largest store in' North Dakobs. Please arrange to . meet your gx::ggsfi;% ge Lendrecie’s and visit our booth when at the Fair as well as at. de Lendrecie’s _ FARGO, N. D. - .