33 
Part I] Lindsay and Harlow : Lac and Shellac 
stimulus to production. In an average year he cannot hope for a 
return of much over Rs. 15 a maund, giving him a fair profit on the 
whole transaction. He will also obtain a small return from the sale 
of the phunki lac from which the brood has swarmed at the time of 
infection. 
The shellac market is one of the most unstable and prices 
frequently fluctuate between wide levels. 
General. 
The prices of stick-lac follow the shellac 
prices and in the past, often for several successive seasons, cultiva¬ 
tion has barely repaid the labour expended on it. The cultivator is 
generally uneducated and improvident. When prices rise trees are 
stripped of lac, brood-lac becomes difficult to obtain, and, if obtainable 
at all, secures a high premium. In order to get brood-lac, the cul¬ 
tivator will involve himself with a money-lender, and as the latter 
seizes most of the profits, the cultivator again loses interest. Co¬ 
operation is an obvious remedy and with close supervision should 
have excellent results. An alternative remedy is for Government 
and the big landholders to take steps to ensure ample supplies of 
brood-lac against seasons when it is scarce. 
[33] 
