The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-28
BEST OYSTER
 GROUNDS HERE
President Eoman Finds Southern Conditions Not Comparable With Those
 at Home
CANNOT CHOW IN GULF
Water Too Salt-Those in Louisiana Good, But Yield Much Less to Barrel.

Former Senator Franklin L.. Homan. of New Haven. president of the Amer ican Oyster Company. and Erastus Buckingham of Warren. R. l.. who is allied with the oyster planters in Mar ragansett Bay. returned yesterday from their trip to the Gulf States for the purpose of Investigating the value of grounds for oyster culture in that section. which might be fit to take the place of or to supplement the grounds which the New England oys- ter growers already own. Wherever hearty reception. as all of those States are anxious to promote oyster cul- ture.
 New England Best. As a result of he trip Senator Ho- man said last night that he thought New England had the most valuable oyster lends in the world. although the grounds are much more restricted here han elsewhere. He also said that New England possesses advan- tages far in advance of the other States in the matter of oyster culture. and this being the case. here should he every effort made to protect these area. The work of keeping them pure should be carried out at no mat
 CT what cost He would not indicate what legislation on this point might he forthcoming at the prospective ses- sion of the Connecticut Legislature, lature will have considerable oyster 'eeYs|ation before it. The idea of the Senator seered to be that the Com necticut seeding grounds for oysters. and he development of the product in Rhode Island water. presented com hfy,a iNy, Cow tnr- >Hf had not seen excelled up to the pres ent time.
 He will. however. take up the mat CT of southern oyster cultivation fur ther. within month or two. and will make an investigation in detail. where wholly general.
 Not Ready to Compete. In this trip throurh the Gulf Sta es of Alabama. Mississippi. Louisiana and Texas. Senator Honan found wanv varying conditions, AS a whole he did not find that any of those Gulf States are in good shape to compe e in the oyster shipping market with New Haven.
 There are many reasons for this. Tn the first place. the Gulf oysters win not open nearly so many uuarts ,o the barrel as those of Connecticut. al- tho%gh they are of fine flavor: Sec
 
 of the south which are feature of that country-leave the oyster beds so bare that steamers cannot get to them. Tn the third nlace. the freshets which are complained of in the various Southern s ates kill the oysters And yet again, the depredations of the drum fish which bites an isolated oyster in two and devours its contents. creates havoc. There is no starfish pes there. hut the drum fish seems to more than take its place.
 Louisiana Leads.
 Senator Homan visited the States of Louisiana Texas. Alabama and Miss issinpi: He found the oysters in he first State superior to all the others. hut they were raised in the delta of the Mississippi river. and the adioin- ing bavous and were so far removed from New Orleans. hat it was mat ter of carrying them 15o miles to get eaten very largely raw in New Or leans. Tn fact the consumption of oysters there is ten times what it is here. The T'avor of these oysters is fine. But they will not comrare in fatness when opened for shipment with the oysters that are sen away from New EngIand. Hundreds of nnt'es of oyster territory were exam ined by MT. Homan while he was in Louisiana and he reeards the Louis iana oysters as the best he found in the Southern ates. There is State ters from the natural beds or reefs, up to A certain size The oysters are on reefs there. and if they are to he cultivated. beds will have to be made for them. This is a matter which the northern oyster farmer will have to take into account.
 No Oysters in Gulf.
 q no oys ,ers are grown in the Gulf of Mexico. The water is too salt for them there. They only flourish where the fresh waters of the rivers meet the salt waters of the ocean. Oysters develop three times as rapidly in Lou cut but barrel of shell oysters there will proauce only one ~allon of oys- ters. while a barrel here will open out three gallons of solid meats. Conse- uuently it is believed tha it is impos- sihle for the Southern States to sefl opened oysters as cheaply as they can be sold here.
 Tn Texas at Galveston. very much the same conditions were found. There was very Ii tie cultivation. and the large percentaee of stock produced was snld in the State.
 Tn Miss'ssipni it was found that the State looks after its own cu'tfva ion of oysters The city of Biloxi has been built up largely there on the sales of oysters and shrimp. The coast line is short
 Tn Alabama the condi ions are much the sance as in I1ouisiana but the oys- ters are not considered so good as those coming from the aforementioned State.
 Tn conclusion Senator Homan said tha if oysters could he cultivated suc- cessfullv in the South there was a great field there The matter was