62 Indian Forest Records. [Vol. I. 
their time to forest works, amongst which the cultivation of lac might 
take a prominent part. 
On the subject of State forest cultivation of lac Mr. McKee’s often- 
quoted paper to the Indian Forester (1876, page 26) has attained the posi- 
tion of a classic upon the subject, and the following paragraphs are as 
much worthy of consideration now as was the case when they were 
penned. 
Discussing the question of State cultivation Mr. McKee wrote : — 
“ With regard to the cost, this will necessarily vary with the descrip- 
tion of the trees employed for the purpose, and the proportion they bear 
to one another in numbers on a given area. Such trees as Palas (Butea 
frondosa) and her (Zizyphus jujuba), which are of comparatively small 
size, and which are fovmd in many places in a state of almost pure forests, 
will necessarily cost less to bring under cultivation than larger species 
such as Kusum (Schleichera trijuga), Guler (Ficus glomerata), and Pipal 
(Ficus religiosa), which are generally found either scattered about the 
forests or fringing the slopes of ravines and the banks of the rivers^ for 
less brood-lac wi 1 be required for their treatment and less trouble and 
time employed in searching for them ; but, on the other hand, the larger 
outttirn obtained from the latter species will more than repay the extra 
money expended in preparing them. Our experimenst extend at 
present to having operated on 7,467 trees of the Palas and smaller 
species and 1,903 trees Kusum ) these numbers represent the standards 
on which the insects are doing well and do not include a large percentage 
which turned out failures. The total cost of bringing the above under 
cultivation including all charges, such as collecting brood-lac attaching 
it to the trees, etc., average R3-5-11 per 100 trees of Palas and R15 
per 100 trees of Kusum. 
“ Owing to the dryness of our summer and the great damage to the 
lac caused by the hot winds it does not seem probable that we can look 
forward to even two good crops in the year ; the summer one will probably 
in almost all places, except those where favourably situated, be of poor 
quahty and quantity of lac developed not more than sufficient to leave 
on the trees for producing the crop which matures during the cold season. 
This latter will generally be good and must be the one we depend on for 
a return. Reckoning, then, on only one crop a year, and estimating the 
yield per tree at the moderate quantities of 3 seers for Palas and 15 seers 
for Kusum or trees of like size, we obtain a net outturn, after deducting 
25 per cent, for wastage in dr}dng and packing, for the Palas and small 
