44 KEPORT UPON COTTON INSECTS. 



fertile "cane-brake region" were badly damaged, however, the most 

 notable exception being Conecnh County, where 50 per cent, of the crop 

 was lost. In Mareugo. the plants were completely stripped. From 

 Dallas, 40 per cent, loss was reported. The worms were injurious in 

 Lowndes, Montgomery, and Bullock. The Autauga correspondent re- 

 ported "caterpillars by the million." In Perry, two-thirds of the county 

 was swept. Bibb lost one-half and Hall one-fourth of the crop. Fur- 

 ther north, although the worms were numerous, as a general thing they 

 <?ame too late. In Florida, the crop of a few counties was damaged this 

 year, but the injury was far from being general. In Jackson County 

 they appeared July 1, and were destructive later. In Jefferson, the crop 

 was badly injured, as also in Madison. In Columbia, the worms just 

 barely put in an appearance in September. The caterpillars were preva- 

 lent in quite a number of localities in Georgia, and did " some considera- 

 ble damage" both in Muscogee and in Harris. In Early, they riddled 

 the cotton in spots, but were not general. Twiggs reported them as 

 being present in force. In South Carolina no damage was done, the 

 worms being seen in September, but in small numbers. 



With 1876 the monthly reports of the Department of Agriculture 

 close, and since then there has been issued an occasional bulletin on the 

 -condition of crops. Much of our previous matter on the prevalence 

 -during each year since 1866 was based upon data from these monthly 

 reports, in addition to that furnished by the 1878 correspondence and 

 l>y the miscellaneous articles published upon cotton insects. As a re- 

 sult of the discontinuance of these reports, the data for 1877 and 1878 

 iire not as complete as those for previous years, and hardly as accurate. 



As a general cotton-worm year 1877 appears to have been somewhat 

 worse than 1876. The marked feature this year was the immense 

 amount of damage done in Texas, more particularly in the southern 

 portions of the cotton-growing region. In a bulletin in July, 1877,* we 

 find that the following Texan counties were already infested: Uvalde, 

 Atascosa, Victoria, Brazoria, Hardin. and Jasper. The following is 

 from an August bulletin: 



The prospect in Texa* is marked by the appearance of the caterpillar. More than 

 one-half of the counties reported are infested, not seriously as yet, except in a few 

 cases. In Lavara the bulk of the crop is destroyed; in (;<i:l<x, ?."> per cent., a com- 

 plete wreck where preventives were not used. Poison is successfully applied by pru- 

 dent planters. * * * The caterpillar has appeared in the parishes of Saint l.anilrtj, 

 Kii-ltland, and <'lnib(n-nc. in Louisiana: in 7Vm/. /H/m.r. an>'. '',.,,/,. j n Alabama; 

 in Columbia, Florida; and in Jirnokx, (Jeor^iji. 



In addition to the localities already mentioned, we glean the following 

 from the answers of the general circular: In Fayette, Colorado, Aus- 

 tin, Waller, Hardin, Walker, and Polk, the caterpillar*' were very 

 numerous; in Austin, indicting a loss of .~>i) per cent.: in Hardin, 75 per 



f In these bulletin* th r.-M.rN an- all sent in before tile 12th of the month tor which 

 they are published. 



