502 REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



As far as can be learned the damage in Louisiana was but slight 

 •prior to 1850; but many animals were killed in 18G1, 18G2, 18G3, 18G4, 

 and 180'!, In this latter year the parish of Tallulah, Louisiana, lost over 

 200 head of mules,, and upwards of 400 mules and horses were killed 

 within a few days in the parishes of Madison, Tensas, and Concordia, 

 all in the same State. In other States they also did great damage. 

 In 1868 many mules were killed in the low lands of Daviess County, 

 Kentucky. Although frequently causing more or less trouble and 

 loss, they did not appear again in such overwhelming numbers until 

 1872, 1873, 1874, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1885, and 1886. In 1872 it was re- 

 ported that the loss of mules and horses in Crittenden County, Arkan- 

 sas, exceeded the loss from all diseases. In 1873 they caused serious 

 injury in many parishes of Louisiana. In 1874 the loss occasioned in 

 one count}^ in Southwest Tennessee was estimated at $500,000. The 

 gnats have been especially injurious since the Mississippi floods of 

 1881 and 1882; in the latter year they were more destructive to stock 

 than ever before, appearing in immense numbers in Eastern Kansas, 

 Western Tennessee, and Western Mississippi, and the great destruc- 

 tion of cattle, horses, and mules caused by them added greatly to the 

 distress of the inhabitants of those sections of the country caused by 

 unprecedented floods. Many localities along the Mississippi River 

 in Arkansas also suffered severely. In 1884 Buffalo Gnats appeared 

 again in great numbers and were fully as destructive as in 1882. In 

 Franklin Parish, Louisiana, within a week from their first appearance, 

 they had caused the death of 300 head of stock. They were equally 

 numerous throughout the whole region infested, and for the first 

 time in the history of the pest they attacked horses and mules on the 

 streets of the cities of Vicksburg and Memphis. No general outbreak 

 took place in 1885; yet gnats appeared in sufficient numbers to kill 

 quite a number of mules in various parishes of Louisiana, especially 

 in Tensas and Franklin. Buffalo Gnats appeared again in immense 

 numbers in 1886, and extended throughout the entire lower Missis- 

 sippi Valley, and swarms were even observed and doing damage far 

 away from the region usually invaded. They came very late in the 

 season, and consequently animals were in better condition to with- 

 stand their attacks. The damage was great, however, in many locali- 

 ties where planters had not taken steps to protect their stock. 



Besides the actual loss by death of their stock, planters lose much 

 valuable time in preparing their fields for the crops. It so happens 

 that the gnats appear at a time in which the ground becomes fit to be 

 prepared for cotton, and as it is very important to give that plant as 

 much time as possible to mature, every day is very valuable in early 

 spring. Planters owning large estates have to use their mules for 

 plowing, notwithstanding the gnats, while farmers on a small scale 

 can keep their animals in the stable, thus protecting them. 



POPULAR OPINIONS ABOUT THE EARLY STATES OF THE BUFFALO 



GNATS. 



The early states of both Buffalo and Turkey Gnats were as a rule 

 perfectly unknown to the inhabitants of the infested regions when 

 our investigations began. Yet the great, and in some seasons ab- 

 sorbing, interest taken in them gave rise to many speculations as to 

 their origin. Many theories had been advanced from time to time 

 and were discussed in the newspapers, and no facts had been observed 



