It is well for the prospective buyer to know something of the manufacture of a popular article. It makes you appreciate and understand how to take care of it better. Women should not buy unless they know exactly what they are buying. Linoleum is made of burlap, linseed oil and cork, as the main ingredients. The oil is first boiled to thicken it. When it is cooled it is poured down over suspended sheets or scrim and by coming in contact with the oxygen of the air, becomes oxidized and solidified. Then these oil-impregnated skins are ground up and mixed with gums to give the fabric elasticity and it is then mixed with ground cork or cork flour, the coloring matter, and the rosin, (to harden it). This mixture is fed into a machine which distributes it evenly over the burlap. It later passes through a series of finely adjusted rollers weighing about 27 tons each and adjustable to space of ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ of an inch between rolls which, of course, give any required thickness to the linoleum. This is plain linoleum and it is many weeks in the making. The printed linoleum is made by passing the plain over print drums. The straight line or inlay is done by a still more involved process, but the patterns never wear out as they are an integral part of the linoleum, going through from back to front of the material. Highly paid designers are engaged in this work and many craftsmen of great skill are employed for stencil work, etc. You don’t always realize the time, work, and expense of the ordinary things that you see about you. When the linoleum is being laid, look out for these things. (They apply pretty generally to the laying of any flooring of this kind.) If over wood--the nails must be hammered in below the surface, the wood laid too to avoid dampness and cracking. If over concrete--it must have dried a month or two and be filled in with plaster of paris if it has any cracks. It should be laid over felt in both cases to insure long life to the linoleum and the comfortable resiliency to the foot and consequent ease to the back. The felt acts as a cushion, makes the linoleum fit better, and obviates later refitting and trimmings. See too, that the workmen are careful to force the strips close together and cement closely. These things if it is absolutely impossible to get the linoleum people themselves to lay the floor. It would be wise then, to get their booklet. It is easily kept in condition if you: Use only mild soaps, never caustic powder, with warm water. Rinse immediately with clear water and dry immediately. Wash and dry about a square yard at a time; do not flood the whole room at once. Strong soaps will eat the pattern in the printed linoleum and wear the inlay. Use elbow grease! Use glass casters on heavy furniture as the linoleum will show marks. Store linoleum, when necessary, away from excessive heat and moisture. Waxing occasionally is good. But an oil mop does very well.