The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-06-13
YeLIoaustoaae Park.

In recent years forestry has be-
come an interesting study, and our
government cannot pay TO the sub
ject too much attention. Prof. Is.
| E. Fenrow, who is a. the head OF
forestry division of the department
of agriculture urges the Yellow
stone Park be enlarged and CONVEX
ted into a timber reservation and
he advances some plausible rea-
sons therefore.
The present srea OF Yellowstone
Park, the national playground is
$3.50 square miles, or about the ex-
tent of Rhode Island and Delaware
combined and it was primarily in
tended that il should be grea.
game pl eserve and health resort for
the United States. In size and nat
ural Developments 1t is worthy OF
such a great country. 1t is a rough
ly undulating table land from 1000
to 5000 feet above the sea-level
shut in on the south, east, NORTH
and northwest by mountains that
rise from 1000 to 4, 900 feet higher.
These surrounding mountains are
coated with snow during the greater
part of the year, and from them i'm.
mense volumes of water are con-
stantly pouring into the park be-
low. This is carried off by the
Yellowstone the Madison and the
Galiatin on the north, which swell
the Missouri, aud the Snake and
the Fall rivers on the south, fow-
ing into the Columbia.
Yellowstone Park is dotted with
fine lakes, of which the Yellow
stone, Shoeshono, Lewis and Heart
are almost noted for their size and
beauty. The waters of these are
naturally pure and cold, but thous-
ands of hot springs flow between.
Throughout the park the scenery
is grand and romantic.
The greater part of the Park,
plateau and the adjacent mountains
are densely covered with timber,
and Prof. Fenrow estimates that
fully "a per cent. of the country is
forest clad. This timber is not
equal to the splendid forests of the
Pacific slope, and Is enerally
stunted with growth, but Prof. Fer.
now says that Its Importance to
the nation lies in its power to store
up the water and to regulate the
how OF the stream, and not in it's
marketable value. 1t is his sug-
gestlon that Yellowstone Park,
through its forests, be converted
into an immense reservoir of in
calculable benefit to the surround
ing country which suffers greatly
from lack OF an equablo water
distribution.
Ihe forests exert powerful in
hueDce in sheltering the snow fields
marshes and meadows of the yell
loWstone Park plateau from the di-
rect rays of the sun and from the
dry, moisture absorbing winds
which blow from the west. Should
the plateau and mountains be
stripped of timber, Prof. Fenrow
says that early freshets would soon
lay waste the lower country in
spring and leave it arid and
parched through the summer and
autumn. Many portions of that
region have already been injured
by the destruction Of the forests
and further damage through these
causes should be carefully guarded
|against. This great park will also
be useful for irrigation and Prof
Fenrow says that the economic dis
tribution of the park waters is a
question of the utmost importance
to the nation.
1t is proposed to nlarge Yellow
stone Park by extending the
boundaries on the south and east
in order to include a dense forests
region Astounding in mountain tor,
rents, am ong them the head waters
of the Yellowstone and Snake rivers
10 do this necessities placing the
boundaries twenty-five miles fur
ther to the eastward and nine miles
further to the southwark Of tie
present lines. Then the sources of
about twenty rivers, large or small,
will be within its limits.