126 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Vol. VIII 
are generally considered his own and he pays nothing for the right 
to cultivate. Zamindars lease out the trees growing in forests and 
waste lands at a few annas per tree according to size and species. 
The principal stick-lac markets and the crops of clean stick-lac 
in maunds to be expected in a good year are as follows:— 
Market. 
Kusmi. 
Jethwi. 
Baisakhi. 
Katki. 
Balarampur 
12,000 
5,ooo 
25,000 
10,000 
Jhalda ... 
25,000 
8,000 
45,000 
16,000 
Chas 
... 
10,000 
5,000 
Manbazar 
20,000 
6,000 
Katras ... 
2,000 
1,030 
Gobindpur 
... 
2,000 
1,000 
The Baisakhi and Katki crops in Balarampur and Manbazar are 
mostly from Ber ; in Chas, Katras and Gobindpur most from Palas; 
and in Jhalda about equal quantities of Ber and Palas. 
The bulk of this lac is manufactured into shellac within the 
district, though considerable quantities of stick-lac are exported to 
Calcutta and other manufacturing centres. A very large quantity 
of stick-lac is imported into Manbhum for manufacture into shellac 
chiefly at Balarampur and Jhalda. In a good year as much as 
1,50,000 maunds of stick-lac are imported into Balarampur and 50,000 
maunds into Jhalda. The bulk of this lac comes from Ranchi, 
Orissa and the Central Provinces. Large quantities are also import¬ 
ed by road into Jhalda from Hazaribagh and Ranchi districts, but 
the market figures above include these. 
The principal stick-lac merchants and brokers are :— 
Hukm Chand Hardit Ray of Jhalda and Ranchi 
Mirzamal Marwari of Purulia and Jhalda 
Jugalkishan Marwari of Purulia and Balarampur 
Laxminarayan Gajhadhar of Balarampur 
Khexidass Premdass of Balarampur 
Nisikanta Banerji of Balarampur 
and numerous others. These firms keep agents in most of the large 
and small bazaars and employ Baiparis who wander round the smaller 
[126] 
