DISEASES OF THE COTTON PLANT. 169 
same time destroying the cotton in tlie interior of the 
country." 
In a statement made this season by Mr. William Mun- 
roe, of Gadsden county, Florida, to the Agricultural De- 
partment of the Patent Office, he appears to think sea 
island cotton not so liable to be attacked as the short 
staple, when the two varieties are planted together. In 
his letter he says : " I observed, when I had two fields of 
cotton adjoining, the one short staple and the other sea 
island, and the cotton caterpillars made their appearance, 
that they always destroyed the short-staple cotton first. 
Four years ago my crop was destroyed by the worm, and 
at that time they ate every green leaf on the short-staple 
cotton before they attacked the sea island. This year 
(1855) my short-staple crop was destroyed by the worm,, 
on the Appalachicola river, and I observed that after the 
short-staple crop was all eaten, several sea island stalks in 
the field, at a little distance, seemed to be uninjured ; but, 
upon close examination, it was found that the woi-m had 
just commenced upon them. My impression, from the 
above observation is, that if we in this country were to 
confine ourselves to the production of the sea island cotton, 
the attack of the caterpillar would be much less fi-equent,, 
or would probably altogether cease." 
In regard to the periodical visitations of these cater- 
pillars. Dr. Capers remarks that their first appearance, as 
destroyers of cotton, was in the year 1800, and that m 
j 1804 the crops were almost destroyed by them. A snow- 
i storm occurred, however, and swept them away ; but they 
I were found the succeeding seasons, though in smaller num- 
bers. In 1825 they were spreading, but perished again by 
a storm. In 1826 they destroyed the crops. The first 
notice of them in this year was on the first of August, at 
8 
