30 EEPOET UPON COTTON INSECTS. 



the close of this season; but their feelings of relief were premature, as 

 1868 proved to be one of the worst years yet on record. The ravages 

 jn Texas and Louisiana were, perhaps, on the whole, not equal to those 

 of 1867, but the other States suffered greatly. In Alabama and Georgia 

 the injuries have only been equalled by those of 1873. The first noted 

 appearance of the caterpillars in 1868 was in Austin County, Texas, in 

 the latter part of May. This was the earliest appearance up to this time 

 on record, and grave fears were at once expressed of the failure of the 

 crop. These fears were abundantly fulfilled so far as Austin County 

 was concerned, for the crop was nearly destroyed as early as July by 

 the third brood proper. In Fort Bend County they were very numerous 

 by July 20, but not nearly as destructive as in Austin. They were again 

 present in great numbers in Comal County. Hardin reported the unusual 

 loss of one-half, and in Polk County the crop was partially destroyed. 

 Further north, in TJpshur, the loss was not serious ; in Titus they made 

 no appearance till August 30, when it was too late to do much damage. 

 In Grayson County the crop was injured to some extent, and Fannin 

 reported a loss of 25 per cent. Louisiana as a general thing reported 

 " not so bad as 1867," and Arkansas likewise. In Mississippi the losses 

 were considerable, in some localities more and in others less than in the 

 preceding years. Wilkinson County was badly afflicted, while in the 

 neighboring county of Pike the worms were not as bad as in 1867. In 

 Hinds the damage from insects was great, but our correspondent states 

 that Aletia ravages were inferior to those of the boll-worm. Attala 

 County lost one-half, and Washington three-tenths, which are perhaps 

 but little above the average for that part of the State. The northern 

 part, did not suffer very greatly, and our correspondent from Panola 

 states that in his county the injuries were less than in any other part of 

 the State. In Alabama the loss was great. Strange to say, the more 

 northern regions suffered more than did the southern and central coun- 

 ties. There were a few exceptions to this, for in Conecuh nearly one-half 

 was lost, in Creushaw one-fourth, in Barbour one-fifth, and in Montgomery 

 three-tenths. Lowndes, Wilcox, Dallas, Autauga, Perry, Hale, Sum- 

 ter, Pickens, and Lee escaped without great injury, while in Clay, Saint 

 Clair, Marshall, and Lawrence the losses amounted to one-half the crop. 

 Great damage was done in Northern Florida. The crops of Georgia, how- 

 ever, suffered more than those of any other State. Decatur County lost 

 from one-half to two-thirds, and in other southern counties the damage 

 was great. The most unprecedented injury was done through the center 

 of the State. Stewart, Chattahoochee, Marion, Macon, Taylor, Crawford, 

 Emanuel, Baldwin, Troup, Heard, Butts, Columbia, Wilkes, Hall, all 

 suffered severely. The damage in these counties will foot up nearly to 

 one-half the'crop, which is very remarkable for Central Georgia, where 

 the injury is rarely excessive. In the more northern counties it was re- 

 ported as coming too late to do much harm. In South Carolina the 

 injury was greater than it had been before, dewberry district returned 



