Part L ] 
Steering : Note on the Lac Insect. 
33 
‘ ‘ The area of forest lands from which lac is obtained and the distri- 
bution of that area over the various Divisions is shown in the following 
table : — 
Name of Division. 
Area in acres from which 
lac is obtained. 
Balaghat ........ 
2,000 
Raipur ......... 
340 
Bhandara ........ 
1,400 
Bilaspur ........ 
1,100 
South Chanda ....... 
135,000 
North Chanda ....... 
370,000 
Total . 
509,840 
“ The very large areas given in the North and South Chanda Divi- 
sions merely represent the fact that the lac occurs on scattered trees 
throughout the area. In the other Divisions the figures represent the 
approximate area that actually bears lac.” 
“ The trees used for the propagation of lac are Butea frondosa, 
Schleichera trijuga, Zizyphus jujuba, Zizyphus xylopyra, Acacia Catechu, 
and Dalbergia paniculata. Lac occurs on other species also, but the 
above are the only trees reported to be used for propagation.’ ’ 
Mr. Lowrie’s letter above quoted details the methods of cultivation 
adopted in the Raipur Division where the work is imder departmental 
supervision. The method of cultivation adopted by the local inhabi- 
tants is to break or cut the lac-bearing twigs before swarming takes 
place, and then when the lac has been dried in the sun to rub off the 
incrustation. To increase the yearlv amount of lac obtainable from the 
forests where the right to collect lac is sold to contractors the latter are 
bound not to remove more than from CO per cent, to 75 per cent, of each 
crop, leaving the remainder for the purpose of seed, and also to infect a 
certain number of fresh trees in each year. They are encouraged to 
7t R. & A. E 
