Part I] Lindsay and Harlow-: Lac and Shellac 161 
usitata . locally known as Thetsi, and is quite different from lac. 
Stick-lac is known as chaik and biuli lac as chaiktha . The trade 
is mostly in the hands of Chinamen, who in the usual course take 
contracts from the Forest Department and send their agents to the 
forests to collect from the local Burmese. One Chinaman is said 
to be growing lac on Arhar Cafanus indicus (pe-singon). 
Most of the lac is brought in by Chinese merchants carrying on 
their business in Tsee Kai Maung Taulay Street, Rangoon. Messrs. 
Martin and Co., Ltd., io Strand Road, are also interested in the 
industry. Two firms, The Eastern Lac Refinery Co., Ltd., and the 
Burma Lac Refinery Co., Ltd., commenced manufacture in Rangoon, 
but both were wound up before the war. Mr. Apcar of Maymyo 
makes grain-lac on a small scale. Unless a better quality stick-lac 
can be produced it is very doubtful whether shellac factories will be 
financially successful except at periods when trade booms. 
The principal exporters of stick-lac in Rangoon are :— 
H. Palladroy, 51, Merchant Street 
Naitram Rambar, 2 Mogul Street 
M. T. Lutman Narayan, 3 Merchant Street 
N. Jugganath, 1 Mogul Street 
B. Rung Lall, 46 Strand Road. 
As already stated, Burma lac contains a large quantity of lac- 
dye ; and the resin itself, besides being more highly coloured, is of 
much poorer general quality than the Indian product. These defects 
seem to be inherent and due to climate or locality and it is very 
doubtful if Burma can ever produce higher grade lac. It follows 
that the demand for it is never likely to be constant as all manufac¬ 
turers, including those who have adopted mechanical processes, prefer 
Indian lac if they can get it. As there is great hope of increasing the 
Indian supply considerably, attempts to extend the industry in Burma 
are not likely to be successful. 
Only a small revenue is obtained by the Forest Department 
from contracts for lac collection, in addition to the export duty of 
Re. I per maund which is collected by the Custom-house at Rangoon 
and credited to the Department. 
An interesting fact is that Kusum, locally known as Gyo, is 
quite common in Burma, and is almost regarded as a weed in the 
forests. No lac was found growing on this tree, which produces 
