CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF COTTON WORM INJURY. 29 
which counties suffered the most. In Louisiana, 31 ississippi, Alabama, 
Georgia, and Florida the greatest damage was done. Texas did not 
sutler so much proportionately, although it experienced a great loss. In 
Arkansas, South and North Carolina more damage was done than had 
ever before been known; while in Tennessee and even in Virginia the 
worms were found in great numbers towards the close of the season. 
The following extract from the Monthly Report of the Department of 
Agriculture for February, 1874, shows well the relative causes of injury 
to the crop of 1873, and the prominence which should be given to the 
caterpillar : 
The relative influence of each cause in daina^in^ the crop of 187:*, a8 indicated by 
our correppondentH, may be staled in the following order in the dill'erent States: 
North Carolina. — Mains, fr<»t, worms. 
South Carolina. — Kains, frost, worms. 
Cforyia. — Worms, more than all other causes combined; rains, frost, drought, high 
winds. 
Florida. — Storms of rain, worms. 
Jlahama. — Woruis, rains, frost. 
Mi*"i**ip\>\. — Worms, ipriag rains, drought, frost. 
Louisiana. — Worms, rains, high winds. 
Tuas. — Worms, rain*, drought, froat, bad gins and inexperienced ginners. 
ArkannaH. — Kains, worms, drought, frost. 
Trim mure.— Dionght, frost, rains, plant lice, a cold and wet spring. 
In the Gulf States the greatest injury thus appears to have been wrought by worms, 
excepting only Florida, where t he de\ asr.n ing storms in September and October, par- 
ticularly that of September L9, proved more destructive than the caterpillar, which 
was abundant and sufliciently injurious. 
The prevalence of rains will he noticed throughout the whole cotton 
belt in the above extract, and should be home in mind as hearing upon 
the influence of rain and drought upon the ahuudanee of the caterpillar; 
1874, the succeeding year, w ill he seen to have been very dry and the 
worms were comparatively innoxious. 
Jn 1S74 the worms appeared rather early, but owing to the severe 
and long" -continued drought did hut little damage except m a few limited 
localities. The crop was poor, hut this was entirely owing to the pro- 
tracted dry spell. As oue correspondent of the Department aptly ex- 
pressed it, u the drought tolled the cotton, and the worms too." Appear- 
ing in early .June in noticeable number* in Texas, Louisiana, and the 
Other Gulf States, the increase in numbers was remarkably slow until 
it was too late for the crop to be greatly damaged. Jn some counties, 
notably Beaufort and Richland, South Carolina; Murray, Georgia; 
Lowndes and Wilkinson, Mississippi; and Burnet and Hardin, Texas, 
the leaves were well stripped, which served to render the plant more 
Susceptible to the drought. Altogether 1874 may be considered a year 
of remarkable immunity. 
The growing season of 1875 up to the mouth of August was also dry, 
while that month was marked by heavy storms. Both these causes 
