Part I. ] 
Stebbing : Note on the Lac Insect. 
27 
9. Madras, Coorg, and Mysore. 
There is but a small production of lac in southern India. It thrives 
best on the Shorea Talura. In Mysore it is confined to the deciduous 
tracts of the Maidan. 
10. Burma. 
The lac insect appears to be chiefly confined to Upper Burma, the 
principal exports of lac being derived from the Shan States. In Upper 
Burma (Katha and Yaw Divisions) it lives upon Dalbergia Oliveri, 
Shorea obtusa and Shorea siamensis, and also upon Dipterocarpus 
tuberculatus. 
In the Shan States it thrives on Ficus religiosa. Ficus Rumphii, 
Dalbergia cultrata, and Butea frondosa. 
There used, apparently^ to be a considerable lac industry in Pegu in 
former days. 
CHAPTER IX. 
METHOD OF CULTIVATION AND PROPAGATION. 
(a) General. 
The cultivation and propagation of the lac insect are intimately 
connected with its life history. It has been shown that there are two 
broods of the insect in the year in most parts of the country with the 
exception of Madras, Mysore, and Burma, where there are three. Experi- 
ence has shown, however, that in many parts of the country a crop 
can only be expected from the cold weather brood, that of the summer 
being usually only sufficient to re-stock the trees. This is generally 
attributed to climatic influences. The most general method of collec- 
tion is to break off the twigs containing the lac incrustation about 
fifteen days before the young larvae will swarm out. A certain num- 
ber of these branches are lightly wrapped up in grass and placed aside 
for propagating purposes, being subsequently bound on to unaffected 
branches of the trees used for cultivating the insect. In the Central 
Provinces Palas fibre or rice straw is used for tying purposes, but 
any suitable material will serve equally well. Each twig should be 
from 9 inches to 1 foot in length and should be attached to the upper 
and middle branches of the tree. The grass tied round the twigs acts 
