St. Paul daily globe., 1893-09-20
WITH THE TRAVELLERS.

Edward Fennessy. of Kilkenny. Ire
land, head of the extensive seeds mer-
chants form of Il. Fennessy- d Son, is
in st. Paul, stopping at the Ryan Il.
Fennessy IL Son was established at Kill
kenny and Waterford, Ireland, in 17l2.
and Edward Fennessy is the great
great-grandSon of the original r. Feflz
messy. He has been broughtup iastiie
art of forestry, and is Thoroughly
schooled upon the subject from every
point of view. He was interviewea
upon the subject at the Ryan last even
lug, ana gsye his views as to what he
saw lacking in this country during. a
five weeks general view of America.
He said:
IL am greatly pleased with my sisit,
and greatly surprised with the enor-
nous extent of territory in an entirely
undevelOped state. The woods and for7
ests have been most deplorabIy Iiegs
iected. This will result i'm an efior-
nous national loss. and greatly increase
the danger of forest fires. the ravages of
which are to be seen everywhere.
Woods properly thinned would not
alone allow the trees to grow into fine
and valuable timber, but at the same
time greatly lessen the risk from forest
fires by having the brushwood cleared
out. There should be belts cut at con-
yenient distances so that when forest
fires did occur, they could not extend
over large areas"
~
On being asked how these impro ye-
mentS could be effected, Mr.. Fennessv
said: "There should be government
forestry department, as in Germany.
This, after short time, would become
source Of great wealth to the United
States. The banks of all rivers might
be planted with black alder. which is
fast-growing tree, and the timber makes
the best charcoal for gnnpowder. These
trees would also improve the climate
by attracting the moisture from the at
mosphere, and afford much-needed
shelter. A forestry department would
also insure the most suitable and yalu.
sable kinds of timber being planted, and
not have, as now, large tracts of country
under aspen and other worthless kinds
of trees. Willows might also be grown
with advantage ana profit, for wicker
and basket making"
Mr.. FenneSsy is greatly interested in
the subject of irrigation. and considers
that 1t should also be under the care of
government forestry department, as
there are enormous tracts of country
which can be- made productive by irri-
CATION. which can only be brought about
Dy the intervention of the government.
Asked how this was to be brought
about. he replied: "By storing the win
ter's rains aud small streams in natural
valleys at high elevations. thus making
small lakes for distribution through If
rigation dikes."
Mr.. FenneSSy was surprised that even
in The Yellowstone park the same neg
lect OF woods and forests existed. and,
as far as he saw, no protection what
ever against their destruction by
fire was provided. Iu many places
the young plantations are grow
ing up through ground thickiy
covered by fallen timber, which if on
fire wonld mean certain destruction to
the woods. Asked what could be d6ne
with the enormous amount of waste
lumber which would not pay for trans
portation, he said it could be converted
into charcoal, ana II this would not pay
for transportation, it could be used for
manure. He, thought paper making
should also pay iE many places where
water power and timber are at present
worthless.
''Tnese remarks relative to the wood
lands" said he, "may be disregarded
today, but with the wonderful growth
of this continent, if neglected, it will be
regretted within the next century, and
a century's growth of the timber of the
country will be lost. We must remem-
ber that timber grows much slower than
man, and can be cut up much faster
than it groWs.'