Indian Forest Records. 
130 
[Vol. iviii 
The development of the industry in Singhbhum must depend 
largely on the action taken by the Forest Department, which controls 
extensive portions of the district, both as Reserved and Protected 
Forests, and at present obtains very little lac revenue from them. 
The question of allowing the cultivation of lac in the Protected 
Forests is worth raising, and, if direct cultivation by the Forest 
Department is not favoured, these forests might be thrown open for 
lac development by contractors or petty cultivators. The cultivation 
of the Reserves seems a possible source of income to the Department 
and it is suggested that the work be taken up departmentally as in 
Damoh. The possibilities of the Singhbhum district are great and the 
Forest Department of the Bihar and Orissa Government would seem 
to have an excellent opportunity of showing what can be done by 
improved methods, particularly as the Kusum tree abounds in all 
parts of the district. 
Orissa Feudatory States. 
Of the twenty-four States, the following produce lac :— 
Athmalik, Gangpur, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Baud, Mayurbhanj, 
Pal-Lohara, Kalahandi; other States produce only small quantities. 
Orissa is a Kusum area, and, as one would expect, the more hilly 
portions are those which produce the lac. Kusum is in every State the 
most important tree, followed by Palas and Ber and the Ficus species. 
The following are crop estimates based on recent years’ averages 
as supplied by local authorities :— 
Maunds Annually. 
Athmalik 
50 
(Probably much greater in normal years). 
Gangpur 
3,500 
Dhenkanal 
450 
Keonjhar 
160 
(Probably much greater in 
normal years). 
Mayurbhanj 
1,800 
Kalahandi 
2,100 
8.060 
The above figures are 
all conservative and based 
on recent 
turns which in most parts of India have been poor. A fair estimate 
is probably 15,000 maunds in a good normal year, and this with 
improved methods might easily be doubled. 
The method of collection varies in different States. In Ath¬ 
malik a lease is given to a monopolist who employs daily labour for 
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