CnRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF COTTON WORM INJURY. 31 
the States which were injured the most the previous year, while in 
Louisiana, which almost escaped in 1870, the caterpillars this year were 
abundant and destructive. The September returns say: "The cater- 
pillar is present in all of the Gulf States, and in South Carolina, but 
has done little damage as yet, except in Texas. In several of the par- 
ishes of Louisiana the loss is considerable from this cause." 
The special feature of the year was the injury in Texas. Early in 
July the caterpillars were proving destructive in Hardin, Jasper, Bra- 
zoria, Atascosa, Victoria, and Uvalde. In August one half of the 
counties sending in returns were infested more or less seriously. In 
Lavaca County the crop was almost completely destroyed, and Gonzales 
County reported a loss of ~~> per cent. Before the close of the season 
Austin had lost 60 per cent., Hardin 75 per cent., Polk 75 per cent, 
and Waller, Colorado, Walker, and Fayette were all damaged to some 
extent. Among the Louisiana parishes injured we may mention Rich- 
land, Claiborne, Bast Feliciana, and Jackson. In Mississippi, the 
southern part of the State, including Wilkinson, Jefferson, and Coving- 
ton Counties, w as overrun, but the crop was not seriously damaged. 
Alabama and Georgia were comparatively unlmrmcd, while in Florida 
the worms were numerous, but not particularly destructive. In the 
annual report of this Department for 1S77 the loss from caterpillars for 
this year is estimated in round numbers at $15,000,0001 
Concerning the occurrence of caterpillars in ls78, we are unable to 
pet very full statistics, since the prevalence of yellow fever in parts of 
the South rendered correspondence difficult and drew the attention of 
the planters from their crops to their personal safety. The worms ap- 
peared early in Texas, and were reported soon after the 1st of June 
from Uvalde, Atascosa, Matagorda, Brazoria, Victoria, Lavaca, Fort 
Bend, Austin, Hardin, Polk, and Jasper Counties. In spite of this 
early appearance they seem to have spread but little, and in none of 
the counties mentioned did the loss exceed one-fifth of the crop. All 
through the cotton belt the season was a very line one, and the crop 
raised largely exceeded that of LS77. In South Carolina, the worms 
were reported fiom Richland and Clarendon Counties late in the fall. 
In Georgia they were not noticed until late in August, and then only in 
the more southern portion of the State. Baker, Thomas, Dodge, Lee, 
and Early reported them in September, and later, Dooly, Laurens, 
and Worth. In Alabama and Louisiana the worms were, as in the pre- 
ceding States, not reported until late, and their injuries were not 
severe. Coffee, Bullock, Covington, Dallas, Barbour, Macon, Baldwin, 
Crenshaw, Monroe, Conecuh, Dale, Wilcox, Lowndes, Autauga, Jeffer- 
son, Dale, Montgomery, Perry, Greene, Sumter, and Pickens Counties, 
Alabama; and Concordia, Caddo, Franklin, Lafayette, Madison, Bos- 
sier, and Bienville Parishes, Louisiana, all returned more or less 
damage. In two Arkansas Counties — Pope and Crawford — the crop 
was also damaged. In Florida nearly all of the counties belonging to 
