2 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 134, U.S. DEFT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Table L — Maple sugar and sirup: Trees tapped, production, average price received by farmers, 

 and imports. United States, selected years, 1918-70 ' 



' For 1918-40, production estimates for Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York. Ohio, 

 Pennsylvania, and Vermont; in 1945 Minnesota was added. 



- Assuming that 1 gallon of sirup is equivalent to 8 pounds of sugar. 



'Obtained by weighting State prices by quantity sold from 1945 to date; prior to 1945 weighted by production. 



I A gallon of sirup weighs about 11 pounds. 



' Includes sirup later made into sugar. 



SOURCES: Data for 1918-50 from Agricultural Statistics, 1957, table 133 {125). Data for 1955 and 1960 from Statistical 

 Reporting Service and Economic Research Service, for 1965 and 1970 from Agricultural Statistics, 1972. table 137 (128). 



during this period. Although the trend in the 

 country as a whole is downward, production of 

 maple sirup in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wis- 

 consin has increased. In fact, based on the 

 number of tappable trees, production in these 

 States could exceed production in New York 

 and the Northeastern States. For example, 

 Michigan has one-fifth of the total stand of 

 maple trees. Canada's total maple crop is about 

 double that of the United States. 



Table 2 shows the number of maple trees of 

 tappable size and the percentage tapped in 

 1951. 



Surveys in the eastern maple-producing 

 areas (126) of the number of maple trees tapped 

 as well as the total number of tappable size 

 have shown that the industry is not suffering 

 from too few trees. Although many sugar ma- 

 ples have been cut for lumber, vast stands 

 remain, and these stands can supply our maple 

 sirup needs. 



Table 3 shows the production of maple sugar 

 by the 11 principal States for selected years, 

 1926-71. 



Table 2. — Tappable maple trees, and trees 

 tapped. Eastern States, 1951 



State 



Tappable 

 trees ' 



Trees tapped 



Thousands Number Percent 



Maine 53,553 136,000 0.25 



Maryland 1,660 28,000 1.7 



Massachusetts 11,913 166,000 1.4 



New Hampshire 12,103 261,000 2.2 



New York 73,128 1,960,000 2.7 



Pennsylvania 33,553 422,000 1.3 



Vermont 25,840 3,118,000 12.1 



West Virginia 13,031 



' Larger than 10 inches in diameter at breast height. 



