144 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Voi,. VIII 
of lac. The work has not been so successful as in Damoh, possibly 
as the Ghont tree is nearing its apparent limit. The chief reason for 
the poor returns obtained seems to be the depredation of thieves, 
and the prevention of theft is one of the principal aims of the Depart¬ 
ment. Most of the remarks under Damoh district also apply to 
Saugor. 
The Malguzari forests produce about i,ooo maunds of lac 
annually which is sold in Katni; and no action of Government is 
required to stimulate the industry in these forests. 
Narsinghpur. 
This is not an important lac district, but is interesting in that it 
contains three distinct areas where three different kinds of lac are 
grown. Palas occurs in the east of the district. In the north is a 
small area which is a continuation of the Saugor-Damoh plateau 
and in which Ghont is the host-tree. In the south-west, round 
Mohpani, Kusum lac is produced, this tract forming part of the 
small Kusum area in Hoshangabad and Chhindwara districts which 
feeds the Bankheri market. Bankheri is a small market just within 
the Hoshangabad district in which chiefly Kusum lac is sold. Good 
crops are :— 
Maunds. 
Kusrai 
Jethwi 
Baisakhi 
Katki 
3.ooo 
2,000 
2,000 
1,000 
A small quantity of lac is also sold at Narsinghpur. The principal 
suppliers at Bankheri are Girdhari Lai of Dongarhai, Hoshangabad 
district, and Onkar Prasad and Dhan Singh of Bankheri. The 
principal buyers are from Mirzapur. Lac comes chiefly from exten¬ 
sive private forests in all three districts, and also a small quantity 
from the Khairi Forest Range. Lac from the rest of the district goes 
to Narsinghpur and Jubbulpore. 
The possibilities of this district are not great, but lac should be 
cultivated systematically in the three small patches of Government 
Forest which can then supply the brood-lac requirements of the 
district. 
[144] 
