792 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIED ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



ascertained ^Yllether such a statement is true. I have heard some such 

 thing repeated very often, but had not the time or opportunities to uives- 

 tigate the truth of the observation. Anyhow, it remains to be tested by 

 actual experiments whether the msect will propagate itself on seedlings 

 raised from seed broadcasted in areas adjoining the present lac-producing 

 areas and whether the broodlac raised on these could be utilized for 

 propagation in the northern parts of the province. In this connection 

 it has also to be determined whether the influence of subsoil water has- 

 any effect on the growth of the lac insect on Anacia trees, and whether 

 the alkalinity of the soil is in any way connected with the growth or 

 deterioration of the lac insect or not. 



Madras. Local collections only are made in Kanara and Mysore 

 on SJiorea talura. Some lac is also gro\\ai and collected in Ganjam and 

 Jeyj^ur State. There are also local collections in the Omarkote range 

 within an area of 200 sq. miles. The majority of lac used in the Presi- 

 dency is obtained from Burma and the silk-dyers prefer Burm.a lac which 

 is richer in colouring matter than the Indian stuff. The lacquer workers 

 at Channapatna utilize the lac gro^^^l and collected locally. Some lac 

 is also groMTti in Nandidrug as well as at Anekai and Closepet in the 

 Mysore State on Sh or ea talura. In Travancore, collections are made in 

 one forest range only, the foodplants being Odina wodier, Ficus religiosa, 

 Careya arborea, SjKftholobus roxhurglii. But with the organization 

 of the Industries Department in the State, considerable attentton is 

 being paid now to the cultivation on scientific lines within the State, and 

 it is expected that the suitable portions of the forest may be soon 

 utilized for the production of lac in quantities to meet the local demands 

 as well as those of the neighbouring Presidency. 



Ceylon. The Ceylon Agricultural and Horticultural Society sent 

 an Agricultural Inspector for training in lac at Pusa and on his return 

 experimental cultivation was started on Zizyphus jiijuba (Ceylonese- 

 Masan) and ScMeichera trijuga (Ceylonese-/ion) and it was reported that 

 the lac insect had flourished well on the latter foodplant, but later on 

 Eublemma Sp. did considerable injury to lac on trees. 



Burtna. Lac in considerable quantities used to be collected and 

 exported in the form of stick-lac which contained more colouring matter 

 than Indian fac. But now the exports have fallen off considerably. 

 It is collected in Thayetmyo, Prome, Tharrawady, Henzada, Arakan, 

 Upper Chindwin and Southern Shan States. In one year a set of villages 

 in the Pakoku Chin Hills produced 100,000 lbs. during a year. Large 

 quantities are codected on the borders of the Shan States and brought 

 into the country to be either exported along with Burma lac or turned 

 into shellac. The produce of the tract bordering on Indo-China finds 



