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the latter have not been so destructive in this county as is reported further 
south, but I estimate that the crop will be diminished twenty per cent. by them. 
The yield will be much better than last year, however, probably an increase of 
forty per cent. 7 
Yalabusha county, Miss—The cotton fields present a singular sight, being 
entirely divested of foliage. The caterpillar is the destroyer. The inter- 
- vening spaces between cotton fields could be seen covered with them in the 
transit from one to the other. Estimates of planters differ, but I think the crop 
will fall ten per cent. below that of last year in this county. Had the crop been 
a complete success this region would have been relieved of most of its material 
embarrassment. 
Charlton county, Georgia —The almost continuous rains have injured cotton 
very much, and now the caterpillar is at work, so that I think not more than 
half a crop will be made in this county. 
Morgan county, Georgia.—The rain has injured the cotton crop in this county. 
The lower matured’ bolls rotted, and the top crop on cotton that had not been 
topped shed off, but that which was topped is making a splendid crop. When 
cotton grows rapidly it is thought best to cut off the extreme top and throw the 
growth into the limbs and bolls. The top crop of cotton is the bolls formed 
on the limbs nearest the top. 
Greene county, Georgia—I have the best crop of cotton I have had for ten 
years, and will make double the quantity that I gathered last fall. It is open- 
ing more rapidly than I ever saw it and we are picking as much as 170 pounds 
to the hand in these old lands, the hands working pretty much as they please. 
Spaulding county, Georgia.—lI have been examining cotton in various fields, 
and am well satisfied that there is more cotton upon the stalks than there has 
been since 1848. There is no late cotton to mature, as all the bolls are grown 
or nearly so, 
Edgecombe county, N. C—The breadth of land in cotton in this county this 
year is estimated at about one-fifth more than last season, when the crop 
amounted to from 16,000 to 17,000 bales. Notwithstanding the increased 
acreage it is thought the present crop will not quite reach that of last year. 
The cotton worm has appeared in several localities of the county, but so late 
in the season as to injure the crop very little. This worm is a new enemy here, 
being almost entirely unknown previous to 1864, when a few appeared. In 
1865 there were not enough to occasion remark. In 1866 there were more, but 
so late as to do no serious damage. 
Union district, S. C—Cotton is very late this year and the caterpillar has 
destroyed some crops. Some fields are stripped entirely of leaves. Where this 
was done early the half grown bolls were much injured, if not destroyed. 
About one-fifth of the cotton has been infected by these worms. ‘The weather 
is now favorable for gathering crops. 
Johnson county, Arkansas —Vhe caterpillars made their appearance in this 
county about the 12th of September, but the lateness of their appearance will 
permit a fair crop in the county. The loss from their depredations will be from 
25 to 30 per cent., leaving a crop of from 225 to 325 pounds per acre on aver- 
age lands. 
Fannin county, Texas.—Little damage has yet been done to the cotton in 
this county by the worms and little more is apprehended. The crop will be 
greater than last year, as there is greater acreage and better prospects. ‘The 
corn crop is probably larger than ever before in this county. The quantity of 
wheat is 30 per cent. Jess than last year, while the quality falls 20 per cent. below. 
The decline in our wheat crop has been very rapid for the last five years. 
Before that time the prairie farms were almost entitely harvest fields, yielding 
from 15 to 25 bushels of wheat per acre, while now the average yield is about 
44 bushels per acre. The causes are no doubt various, some of which can be 
