nts. Skirts, waists, and coats hold their
shape far better when disposed of in this way, and can be packed
closely together. A twelve-inch piece of barrel hoop wound with
cambric or muslin, and with a loop at the center, is a good substitute
for the commercial hook. On the shelves go hat and other boxes, and
various parcels, each to be plainly labeled. A chest of drawers at one
end of the closet is handy for the disposal of delicate gowns, extra
underwear, furs, summer dresses, etc., while a shoe bag insures
additional order. The soiled-clothes hamper belongs, not in the
clothes closet, but in the bathroom. Too much emphasis cannot be
placed on this. The odor from the linen pollutes the naturally close
air of the closet and clings to everything it contains.

CARE OF CLOSETS AND CONTENTS

Wash the woodwork, drawers, floor, and shelves of all closets
thoroughly with water containing a few drops of carbolic acid--not
enough to burn the hands--and wipe dry. Painted walls which can also
be washed are most desirable; if calcimined, the tinting must be
renewed each year. If furs are to be put away, brush and beat well,
and then comb to remove possible moths or eggs, sprinkle with camphor
gum, wrap in old cotton or linen cloth, then in newspaper, and tie
securely. Moths, not being literary in their tastes, will never enter
therein. All woolens should be put away in the same manner. The
closet is clean and sanitary now, and the main thing is to keep it so.
All garments ought to be thoroughly brushed and aired before hanging
away, particularly in the summer time, with a special application of
energy to the bottoms of street gowns, the microscopic examination of
one of which revealed millions of tubercular germs--not a pleasant
thought, but a salutary one, let us hope.

It seems such a pity that the sun, that great destroyer of bacteria,
cannot shine into our closets; but until the new architect comes to our
rescue with a window, all we can do to sweeten them is to remove the
clothing and air by leaving doors and adjacent windows open for a
couple of hours. An annual disinfecting with sulphur fumes will
destroy all germs of insect life. Use powdered sulphur--it is far more
effective than the sulphur candles which are sold for the same purpose.
Stand an old pie plate or other tin in a pan of water; on it build a
little fire of paper and fine kindling, pour on the powdered sulphur,
and leave to smudge and smoke