CRUSHED AND BROKEN STONE 597


 Railroad expenditures for ballast also can be used to estimate the production
of crushed stone for ballast. Railroad expenditures for ballast in 1932 decreased
to $8,109,000 (41.7 percent of those in 1931). Assuming the same value per
ton in 1932 as in 1931, this represents 9,700,000 tons. Moreover, if gravel
and crushed-stone ballast retained their relative proportions, the crushed-stone
ballast estimate on this basis would be. 41 percent of 9,700,000 tons or
3,975,000 tons, which checks closely the original tabulated estimate.
 Trends in consumption and uses.—Trends in production and value per
ton of crushed and broken stone by major uses for the past .10 years appear
in the following table. The value per ton is calculated from the total value
of product as reported by producers. This value is f.o.b. plant and is the
nearest approach to selling prices that the Bureau can make from its records.
The estimated production for each~ class of stone in 1932 is also shown.
These estimates are based upon early returns compared with the reports of
the same producers for 1931.