46 
Indian Forest Records. 
[ VoL. 1. 
In the Mandalay Division lac is mostly obtained from the Northern 
Shan States, especially the State of North and South Theinni, but a 
little is also obtained in the Maymyo Sub-Division. The lac trees are 
scattered and the area over wliich it occurs cannot be estimated. It is 
most commonly found on species of Ficus, Schleichera trijuga, Albizzia 
Lebbek, Zizyphus jujuba and Tamarindus indica. 
The collection of lac is said to take place from May to November, but 
the quaUty is poor till August. The larger branches of the trees are cut 
off and sent down coimtry in this state. When the areas of collection 
are distant from the railway the lac is first stripped off the’branches. 
All the lac comes from the unclassed forests and no steps are taken to in- 
crease the quantity. Duty was collected for the first time during 1905-06 
(on lac exported by rail only) when a sum of E 6,326 was reahsed. 
The methods of collection and export for the Southern Shan States 
are the same as those for the Northern. 
The list of trees used is, however, different : Shorea obtusa, Schlei- 
chera trijuga, Dalbergia latifolia. Ficus nervosa. Ficus obtusifoha. Ficus 
rehgiosa, Butea frondosa, Pentacme siamensis, and Mangifera indica. 
No duty was collected on lac in these States, nor are any steps taken 
departmentally to increase the production or collect departmentally. 
In the Minbu Division lac is obtained from an area of about 9 square 
miles (two reserves and seven imclassed forests). No artificial cultiva- 
tion is, however, imdertaken, and no propagation. The branches bear- 
ing the lac are lopped off the trees and sold in that state. No steps are 
being taken to increase the amount of lac. RlOO even obtained from 
the collection of lac during 1906-07. 
Summary. 
It will have become abundantly evident from a perusal of the above 
reports that, with the exception of the Central Provinces, the Depart- 
ment has not realized the immense value of lac as a minor forest product. 
It may be held that lac cultivation is not the work of the Forest Officer, 
and when the cultivation has been taken up in a systematic manner 
throughout the country it may well be that the Forest Department will 
be in a position to make it over to the villager in the district lands out- 
side reserves, to the Native State, and to the private Zemindar. At 
present, however, the position has to be faced that the cultivation of the 
product on scientific lines is not understood. But httle advance has 
been made in the production of the substance since the days of Akbar 
