11 



and there is little reason to doubt that they were entirely unknown until 

 that time. In 1804 the crops were almost destroyed by them. A snow storm 

 and frosts, more severe than usual, occurred daring the fallowing winter, but 

 they were again found in 1805, though in smaller numbers. In 1825 they 

 were spreading rapidly when they were destroyed by a storm. In 1826 

 they destroyed almost the entire crop. Their first appearance in this year 

 was on tLie first of August, at St. Helena. Soon after every plantation on 

 all the sea coast from New Orleans to North Carolina was infested, and by 

 the 23d of the same month they had destroyed almost all the cotton leaves, 

 but suddenly left the plant. The cause of their sud l^n disappearance was 

 accounted for by the fact that the weather was unusTjally warm, and they 

 were too much exposed to the rays of the sun to continue their depredationa. 



In 1838 the caterpillar appeared in August and was particularly destruc* 

 tive in Florida, where, in many cofunties, after destroying the entire foliage, 

 they barked the limbs and stalks, and ate out bolls nearly grown. In 1839 

 they were less numerous and did little harm, but in 1840 they destroyed 

 two-thirds of the entire cotton crop. From that time until 1852 it would 

 seem that on every third year the cotton worm was more general in their 

 appearance and more than ordinarily destructive. The same fact in regard 

 to their visits being periodical has been observed and commented on ever 

 since, but, as yet, there has been no satisfactory reason given for the occur- 

 ance. 



That the cotton worm moth is a migratory pest there can be little doubt, 

 and, as it is capable of flying great distances, the remoteness of one cotton 

 field from another affords no security to the crop. Mr. E. Eichards of Cedar 

 Keys, Florida, wrote some years ago a letter to the Agricultural Department 

 in support of this story, which is often denied. 



"■ The last of July, these caterpillars made their appearance in a small 

 field of three or four acres of sea island cotton, planted on Way Key, an 

 experiment to see if cotton could not be advantageously cultivated on the 

 keys, no other cotton having been previously planted within eighty miles of 

 them, but the whole crop was destroyed. The caterpillars at the same time 

 were destroying the cotton in the interior of the country." 



The habits of the cotton worm seem to have Ijeen very little studied in 

 the section where its ravages do almost incalculable damage, but so far as 

 its ravages are known, wherever they have appeared in Georgia or South 

 Carolina, they almost invariably came from southward, and had committed 

 ravages 30 or 40 miles off some weeks before making their appearance in 

 the places named ; the second and third broods of moths travelling farther 

 and farther north, spreading ruin and devastation until killed by the frost. 

 If this theory of northward migration be correct, so are the accounts we 

 so frequently hear of their journeys in other directions from one cotton field 

 to another, when in any instance they have exhausted the supply of their 

 costly food. It is certain however that it was from these reported changes 



