44 
Indian Forest Records. 
[ VoL. I. 
propagation of the insect it is readily understandable that in time the sup- 
ply must fail, since the stick-lac is collected before the yoimg larvae issue. 
In the Northern Circle of Upper Burma the lac insect is reported 
to only occur in the Upper Chindwin Division. Dming 1904-05, 253 
viss or 800 lbs. were collected in this Division, but there is no record 
to show whether it came from the reserved or unclassed State forests. 
The insect is believed to exist in the Chindwin hills. The Officer in 
charge of the Mansi Sub-Division of the Chindwin reported that there 
are about 53 square miles of lac-producing area in the Upper Chindwin 
in the Chaunggyibya and Sanda Deserves and on the Chaunggyibyameza 
watershed. The trees on which the insect lives are Pentacme siamensis 
and Dalbergia sp. The former is the tree most favoured in Burma 
where the insect is said to never propagate on Butea frondosa as in India. 
The lac is not collected departmentaUy. Licensed traders engage 
villagers at 4 annas per viss for stick-lac and 8 annas per cleared lac 
delivered at Pinbon, 10 miles from the lac-yielding forests. 
Bnrmans adopt a very wasteful way of collecting by felling the trees 
if of small girth. This, however, has been stopped and the lopping 
of the smaller branches only is allowed. A skilled Collector in a good 
year could gather eight to nine viss in a'^day and half this amount when 
scarce. The time of collection of stick-lac is in October before the young 
broods swarm. The produce is then packed in sacks or baskets with salt 
or wood-ash to prevent the young working their way out. No steps 
are taken to propagate the species, but experiments will be made next 
season. 
The following extract from the forest settlement proceedings of the 
Chaunggyibya Reserve is of very considerable and curious interest. 
There was here every chance of starting, through a mere accident, a very 
thriving industry, had it not been for the wasteful method of collection 
by felling the trees employed by the Burmans. The incident, however, 
forms an object-lesson as to the great possibilities of lac cultivation 
in this neighbourhood. The extract is as foUows ; — 
“ The lac insect first made its appearance in this locality in the year 
1894, during, it is said, the prevalence of a strong wind from the south ; 
and it is supposed that a swarm of the insects was carried by it from 
the spurs of Maingthon, which is some 50 miles nearly due south. 
This account is at least plausible and is probably correct. The insect 
has its home in the neighbourhood of Shimpa Maukwin and Maulin 
in the Wuntho Township. If a swarm were blown nearly due north 
