HISTORY OF RAVAGES, 1877 AND 1878. 45 



cent. ; and in Polk, " total destruction." These reports seein to make 

 1877 as bad a worm year as Texas has experienced. 



In Louisiana the damage was comparatively slight. In addition to 

 the parishes already mentioned, some injury was reported from East 

 Feliciaua and Jackson. In Mississippi the worms were abundant only 

 in the southern part of the State in Wilkinson, Jefferson, Coviugton r 

 and neighboring counties. In Alabama the caterpillars were general 

 but not very destructive compared with preceding years. In Xorthern 

 Florida they were abundant but not remarkably destructive, while 

 Georgia was very slightly touched. 



In the winter of 1877-'78, the bill creating the cotton-insect investi- 

 gation passed Congress, and in early summer work was begun. In 

 June the following Texas reports came in : 



Uvalde: Cotton-worms appearing iu small shoals. Atascosa: Cotton- worms making 

 their appearance nere. Matagorda : The caterpillar has appeared in due course of 

 time ; will, get his share of the crop. Brazoria : Tlie cotton- worm has made its ap- 

 pearance in some parts of our county ; as yet it has done no damage to the catton. 

 Victoria: The worms are playing havoc with the cotton. Laraca: Cotton-worm re- 

 ported in several localities. Fort Bend : Worms have made their appearance in some 

 localities, but as yet have done no damage. A mstin : The first brood of worms has ap- 

 peared in several places. Hardin: The green- worm that always comes before the 

 cotton-worm is here on the cotton ; also, the fly that lays the egg that produces the 

 cotton-worm is here. Polk: Cc4tou-worms in abundance ; farmers are using Preston 

 & Roberta's Texas worm-destroyer Avith great success. Jasper : Worms are making 

 their appearance in many places, and if they come in great abundance the cotton 

 crop will be a total failure. 



It is difficult to make any comparative estimate of the destruction 

 from caterpillars in 1878, since in most parts of the South all thought of 

 other calamities was lost in the fear of the great epidemic. From such 

 data as we have been able to gather, however, it seems to have been the 

 worst year since 1873, in all the Southern cotton States excepting Texas, 

 where it was exceeded by 1877. In spite of the general early appear- 

 ance of the caterpillars in the latter State, little serious damage was 

 done. The greatest injury seems to have been in Matagorda, Colorado, 

 Washington, Polk, and Cherokee counties, but the loss probably did not 

 exceed 20 per cent, in any of these. In Louisiana caterpillars were 

 prevalent. They were destructive in East Feliciana, Coucordia, Madi- 

 son, Jackson, Bienville, Bossier, and Caddo Parishes ; more particularly 

 so in the last three named. Pope County, Arkansas, suffered a loss of 

 25 per cent., and in Crawford they were nearly as bad. In Mississippi 

 they were abundant in nearly all of the cotton-growing counties as far 

 north as Chickasaw, but, from the fact that in this State were the head- 

 quarters of the fever, we have been able to get few particulars as to 

 the abundance of the worms. In Alabama the damage was considera- 

 ble. Many counties report the presence of the worms with greater or 

 less loss. The greatest damage was done in Monroe, Conecuh, Dale, 

 Wilcox, Barbour, Lowudes, Dallas, Montgomery, Macon, Autauga, 

 Perry, Hale, Green, Sumter, and Pickens. The average loss was about 



