566 LAC CULTURE 



India where lac is obtained or cultivated, these being cold, hot, 

 and rainy seasons. At Pusa, says Mr. N. WICKRAMARATNE, where 

 lac has been grown successfully for the last few years for experi- 

 mental purposes, the seasons are as follows: U A cold season 

 which begins in October and lasts till the middle of March, 

 a hot season of three months lasting from then until June, and a 

 rainy season from July till the end of September. The average 

 annual rainfall is 45 in., and the temperature rarely rises above 

 100 Fah. Two crops are taken in the year, one called "Kartiki" 

 in the beginning of October (from inoculation done in June-July) 

 and the other called "Baisaki in June-July (from inoculation done 

 in October), these corresponding to the "Yala" and "Maha" 

 seasons in Ceylon." 



LAC PRODUCTION IN CEYLON. Lac is found on various 

 indigenous and a few introduced trees in Ceylon, and is collected 

 and employed by the native lac workers in the ornamentation of 

 ceremonial staves, native furniture, toys, etc., but the industry is a 

 small one, and the product is not exported to any extent. 

 MR. GREEN, late Government Entomologist, stated that the species 

 of insects producing lac here are Tachardia Albizzia; and T. con- 

 chiferata, which occur on Albizzia stipulata, Croton arotnaticus, 

 Filicium decipiens and others. These do not produce so plentiful 

 an incrustation of lac as the Indian form (T. Jacca). Efforts have 

 therefore been made to introduce and establish the latter, but so 

 far without success. (1913). 



TREES SUITABLE FOR LAC CULTURE. Certain trees ap- 

 pear to offer more attraction to the lac insects than others, and the 

 quality of the article appears to be affected by the species of tree upon 

 which it is produced. In India the best lac is said to be obtained 

 from Schleichera irijuga (known here as the "Ceylon Oak"), which 

 is also a heavy yielder. Spreading or bushy trees which produce 

 young branches at frequent intervals, or will stand being pruned or 

 coppiced so as to encourage fresh tender growth, are the most 

 adapted. The following are some of the principal lac trees in 

 India and Ceylon : 



NAME. 



Albizzia stipulata. " Kabal-mara ", S. 



Anona -palustris. Alligator-apple. 



Butea frondosa. " Pulas." 



Croton aromaticum. " Wel-keppitiya," S. 



Natural Order. 



Leguminosae 



Anonaceae 

 Leguminosae 

 Euphorbiaceae 



[S=-Sinhalese ] 



