Part I. ] 
Stebbing : Noie on the Lac Insect. 
35 
contractor, while attempts are being made to interest forest and other 
villagers in this cultivation. These attempts, which provide for adequate 
payment of the villagers by the contractor, promise to be successful. 
The most interesting experiments of the year were those under- 
taken in Raipur with the object of developing the lac and other minor 
produce industries. The areas selected were parts of the Laon and 
Sirpur Ranges, and a special establishment under an Extra- Assistant 
Conservator of Forests was sanctioned for the control of the work. 
It was known that Malguzars were making considerable sums out of 
the cultivation of lac on Kusum {Schleichsra irijuga), and with the 
object of ascertaining the possibility of the forests an enumeration of 
these trees was started which resulted in 20,000 trees being found. 
Seventeen forest villages were started to provide labour, and the villagers 
were induced to take up the cultivation of 1,076 Kusum trees on the 
understanding that they would receive fths of the crop. It was antici- 
pated that the hot weather crop from these trees would provide enough 
seed-lac to increase the number of trees cultivated to some 4,000 to 5,000 ; 
but unfortunately bad weather prevailed through the swarming 'season 
and was followed by unusually intense heat in April, May, and June, 
so that the greater part of the crop failed. About 1,000 trees have, 
however, been infected for the winter crop, and it is hoped that the 
result will be satisfactory. It is estimated that there are at least 150,000 
Kusum trees in the Raipur forests and that each tree under cultivation 
should give an average annual profit to Government of not less than 
R2. There is therefore an enormous industry awaiting development, 
which development depends entirely on the possibility of obtaining 
labour. It is unUkely that we shah be able to work up to the full possibi- 
lity, but it is anticipated confidently that with one or two successful 
seasons we shall have no difficulty in greatly increasing the labour supply 
as the people get to know that they will experience fair treatment when 
working in the Government forests. Apart from the Raipur District 
there are great opportunities for the extension of lac cultivation in Bilas- 
pur, Balaghat, North Chanda, and Bhandara, so that it may be said that 
the future revenue of the circle depends to no little extent on the 
successful extension of this industry. 
Lac is also cultivated to a considerable extent in the Northern Circle, 
the following notes being compiled from an interesting report received 
from the ^Conservator. The trees in use are the Schleichera trijuga, 
Zizyphus 7xylopyra, Butea frondosa, Zizyphus nummularia. Ficus 
infectoria, Zizyphus jujuba, Ficus reUgiosa, and Ougeinia dalbergioides. 
E 2 
