Part I. ] 
Steering : Note on the Lac. Insect. 
39 
Thej^following are the chief trees upon which the insect lives in their 
order of importance : — 
Zizyphus xylopyra, Schleichera trijuga, Butea frondosa, Zizyphus 
vulgaris, Ougeinia dalbergioides, Ficus rehgiosa, Ficus bengalensis. 
The lac is collected by the aboriginals of the forest villages in the 
reserves and brought to depots. In the c. Ill class forest the right to 
collect lac is annually leased. No steps are being taken to increase 
the yearly amount of lac ; when collecting a sufficient quantity of brood - 
lac is left on the trees for propagation purposes. 
The quantity and value of lac collected is as follows : — 
Forest areas. 
YEAR. 
1903-04. 
Forest year. 
1904-05. 
Forest year. 
J ELY 1905 TO 
Fe BE vary 1906. 
Amount. 
Value. 
Amount. 
Value. 
Amount. 
Value. 
Seers. 
R 
Seers. 
R 
Seers. 
R 
Reserves 
731 
109 
2,276 
1,896 
3,457 
Forest 
1905- 
3,109 
^ear 
06. 
C. Ill class forests . 
•• 
60 
•• 
992 
•• 
842 
Matters are not so satisfactory in the Wun Division. It is said 
that since the famine of 1896-97 the rainfall in the Division has been 
so scanty and fitful that the lac insect has ceased to thrive, the long 
breaks in the rains being particularly detrimental to it. Lac only exists 
in the State forests of class A, chiefly in Kinwat. Here lac-bearing 
trees exist scattered over the area of 179 square miles, being chiefly 
abundant in the Mohadi block, area 6,788 acres, where the abundance 
is attributed to the preponderance of Ougeinia dalbergioides which 
is the chief lac-bearing tree. Next in order comes Butea frondosa. 
It is said to be found only rarely on Schleichera trijuga, Zizyphus vulgaris, 
and Terminalia tomentosa. 
An attempt was made in the rains of 1905 to propagate the insect 
on Ficus religiosa, but no success resulted owing to the unfavourable 
nature of the weather experienced. 
