334 



" I obserred, when I bad t'.vo fields of cotton adjoining, tbe one sbort-staple and the other 

 sea-island, and the cottftn caterpillars made their appearance, that they always destroyed the 

 short-staple cotton first. Four years ago my crop was destroyed by tbe worm, and at that 

 time they ate eyery green leaf on the short-staple cotton before they attacked the sea-island. 

 This year (18.55) my .short-staple crop was destroyed by the worm on the Apalachicola 

 river, and I obseryed that after the short-staple crop was all eaten, several sea-island stalks 

 in the field, at a little distance, seemed to be uninjured ; but, upon close examination, it was 

 found that the worm had just commenced upon them. My impression from the above ob- 

 servation is, that if we in this country were to confine ourselves to the production of sea- 

 island cotton, the attack of the catei-pillar would be much less frequent, or Avould probably 

 altogether cease." 



In regard to the pericdical visitations of these caterpillars?, Dr. Capers remarks 

 that tlK'ir first appearance as destroyers of cotton was in the year ISOO, and 

 that in 1804 the crops were almost destroyed by them. A snow-storm occurred, 

 however, and swept them away; but they y>'ere found the succeeding seasons, 

 though in smaller numbers. In 1825 they were spreading, but perished again by 

 a storm. In 1826 they destroyed the crops. The first notice of them in this 

 year was on the first of August, at St. Helena. Soon after, they were found 

 on all the seacoast, from New Orleans to North Carolina. On the 23d of the 

 same month they had destroyed almost all the cotton leaves, but suddenly left 

 the plant, though not for the purpose of webbing, as many of them were young. 

 The cause of their sudden disappearance is stated to have been that they were 

 too much exposed to the powerful eftects of the sun, inconsequence of the plants 

 being nearly destitute of foliage and not protecting them from its direct rays. 



Colonel Benjamin F. Whitner, of Tallahassee, has also written an interesting 

 article on the depredations of this caterpillar in that vicinity. "In 1835," he 

 says, " the crops were entirely exempt from the ravages of the caterpillar. In 

 1S3G it appeared by the first of October, but did no harm. In 1837 no mention 

 is made of it. These notes were made in Madison county, Florida." 



Colonel Whituer then moved to Leon county, in the same State, where, in 

 1838, the caterpillar appeared early in August. The second brood stripped the 

 plants by the 20th (jf September, and were so nimierous that, after devouring 

 the entire foliage, they barked the limbs and stalks, and ate out bolls nearly 

 grown. In 1839 they were less numerous, and appeared late. ]n 1840 they 

 came out from the 15th to the 20th of July, and by the 6th of September the 

 plants were stripped of their leaves and young bolls, so that the entire crop Avas 

 less than half of the average of other years. In 1841 this caterpillar was seen 

 in Madison county from the 15th to the 20th of August, and in Leon county 

 between the 20th of August and the 1st of September. The loss was serious, 

 comprising probably one fifth of the crop. In 1842 no damage was done. In 

 1843 they appeared near Tallahassee on the 1st of August, and plantations 

 were stripped by the 15th of September. The crop was cut ofi' from one-third 

 to two-fifths by the caterpillar and storm. In 1844 the cotton worm was found 

 webbed up on the 13th of July, and by the 15th of September some plantations 

 were entirely denuded ; yet in other parts of the county the ravages were only 

 partial. In 1845 there was no appearance of the caterpillar. In 1846 it was 

 found webbed up by the 7th of July. The second brood began to web up on 

 the 26th of that month, and by the 20th the parts of the field in which the worm 

 was first seen were found to be eaten out, and the fly, the Avorms, large and 

 small, and the chrysalides, were discovered at the same time, a state of things 

 never observed before. By the 5th of September, the damage amounted to a 

 loss of more than one-half of the crop. In 1847, although the fly was seen on 

 the 16th of July, no injury was done to the crop. In 1848 it was but slightly 

 injured ; but the year 1849 was particularly marked by the ravages of the cater- 

 pillar, as well as that of 1852. 



Colonel Whitner further observes that these worms appear in successive 

 broods, and accomplish the cycle of their transformations in from twenty-six to 



