A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE 35 



Economic Work on the Oyster Fisheries. 1 * Brooks' economic 

 work on the oyster began in 1882 when the Governor of Mary- 

 land appointed him Chairman of a Commission to examine the 

 oyster beds and to advise as to their protection and improvement. 

 While occupying this position, he was excused by the Johns Hop- 

 kins University from practically all duties as teacher and investi- 

 gator and for two years he devoted his talents and energy to the 

 work of the Commission. He organized and carried on an exten- 

 sive investigation of the actual condition of the natural oyster 

 beds of Maryland and studied carefully the results of the policy 

 then pursued by the State in its work of supervising and policing 

 its oyster resources. He also compiled statistics from the history 

 of the oyster industries of France and the North Atlantic States 

 in order to ascertain and to show the possibilities of oyster pro- 

 duction possessed by the tide waters of Maryland and the condi- 

 tions under which some of these possibilities may be realized. 



A detailed account of these investigations was published in 

 January 1884 under the title " Report of the Oyster Commission 

 of the State of Maryland" (a quarto volume of 193 pages), and 

 carefully prepared plans for inaugurating a system of oyster cul- 

 ture under private ownership and for increasing the supply of 

 oysters from the public oyster grounds, were submitted to the 

 General Assembly for its consideration and approval. 



The plans worked out by Brooks by which the oyster resources 

 of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries could be husbanded and 

 developed, were far in advance of public sentiment in Maryland 

 and were rejected. Not until 1906, twenty-two years later, did 

 the Legislature enact a general oyster culture law for the entire 

 State. 



Professor Brooks' active interesc in the Maryland oyster 

 problem did not end when his connection with the State Commis- 

 sion expired. He realized from the character of the discussion and 

 opposition which brought about the rejection of his plan for oyster 

 culture, that the oyster problem in Maryland is in reality a 

 social and political one, and he therefore set about conducting a 



16 Professor Caswell Grave, Johns Hopkins University. 



