Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 07.djvu/573

* FEMUR. 52] FENCE. dela) the femur is a short and relative]}' unim- portant bone; but in those forms whose chief jnoile of progression is by leaping (Anura), it becomes the longest and most important bone of the hind limb. Among reptiles we find the femur, when present, a short but very stout bum', reaching its strongest development among the Crocodilia, though the lizards and turtles arc not far behind. Among snakes, a femur is pres- ent only in the families Tortricidse and l'vthoni- dae, and in those cases it is greatly aborted. The femur is sometimes lacking in lizards, and in other cases is rudimentary. Among birds the femur is a short, stout bone imbedded in muscles and concealed beneath the skin; its upper, ar- ticular end is rounded and almost at a right angle with the main shaft ; the terminal cond les are large and on the outer is a ridge which plays between the heads of tibia and fibula. Most mammals possess a well-developed femur, the relative length of which depends very largely upon the habits of the animal and the propor- tions existing between the fore and hind limbs. No femur is present in the manatee or the dugong, and it is wanting also in most of the Cetacea. hi some whales, however, which possess a rudi- mentary pelvic girdle, a small bone lying just outside the latter is thought to represent the femur. Monkeys possess femurs most nearly like that of man, and this is especially true of the anthropoid apes; yet even the gorilla, which in this respect is the most man-like of all the apes, lias certain peculiarities of the femur by which the expert can distinguish it from man. These dif- ferences between the femurs of apes and man are so readily recognized that when the famous re- mains of Pithecanthropus erectus were found in Java by Dubois, their position, intermediate be- tween man, whom they approach in cranial char- acter, and apes, was determined by the examina- tion of the femur, this bone showing certain pithecoid characters quite strongly. FEMYNYE, fem'I-ne', or FEMINEE. A name used by Gower and Chaucer for the King- dom of the Amazons. FENCE (by apha?resis for defence, defense, from Lat. defendere, to ward off, from de, down 4- fendere, to strike; connected with Gk. 0elvetv, theinein, to strike). In agriculture, a barrier, more commonly constructed of stones, rails, planks, pickets, or wire, used to inclose some space or to separate it from an adjoining area. Fences are primarily intended to confine farm animals to a definite area, or to prevent those of one farmer trespassing on the premises of his neighbors. Legal Aspect. Fence laws are quite gener- ally in force in the United States, but their re- quirements are very variable. In some cases they require each person to fence in his own stock, but not to fence out the stock of others. In other eases the reverse is true, especially in sparsely settled regions, where the amount of unoccupied land is so much larger than the occu- pied area, and the grazing system prevails. Great legal diversity also obtains in different States regarding division fences, highway and railway fences, and what in a legal sense constitutes a feme. Martin states that "in Maine, New Hamp- shire, Massachusetts, and many other States, it is provided that all fences four feet high, and in good repair, consisting of rails, timber, boards, or stone walls, and all brooks, river-, ponds, creeks, ditches, hedges, and other things deemed by the fence viewers to be equivalent thereto, shall be accounted legal and 9ulucient fences. In Vermont, Connecticut, Michigan, and some other States, a legal fence must be 4 V^ feet high. In Missouri post fences must l»e I'j feet high, hedges 1 feel iiigh, turf fences 4 feet Sigh, with ditches on each side 3 feet deep in the middle and .'i feet wide; worm fences must be feel high to the top of the rider, or, if not ridered, . r > feet to the top of the top rail, and must be locked with strong rails, poles, or stakes; stone or brick fences must be i 1 /-* feet high. In New York the electors of each town may by vote decide for themselves how fences shall be made and what shall be deemed sullicient." NECESSITY. Fencing is more general in the United States than in European countries. It has been stated that the farm fences of the Unit- ed States cost more than the farm buildings. Much fencing is undoubtedly done that is useless, expensive, and unsightly. Many fences, like the zigzag fence and the stone fence, take up much valuable land that might otherwise be profitably cultivated; they harbor weeds, insects, etc., and frequently disfigure the landscape. As may be inferred from what is stated above, the extent to which fencing is necessary depends mainly upon the laws in force. Where every owner of stock is liable for the damage done by them, the fencing may be limited to that required to keep the stock confined on his own premises. Still, even in this case many prefer completely to fence their premises rather than be annoyed by the unpleasant consequences of depredations of a careless neighbor's stock. However, it may be laid down as a general rule that from both es- thetic and economical considerations only such fences should be maintained on a farm as are absolutely necessary. Kail Fences. When timber is abundant, as it is in the early days of the settlement of well- timbered regions, the zigzag, worm, or Virginia rail fence is commonly used. Such a fence prop- erly built, of good timber, is durable and effective, but is wasteful of land and timber, and is expen- sive when the supply of the latter becomes limited. It is then often replaced by other cheaper forms of pole, brush, or wicker fences, or by the neater and more substantial board fences. Stone Fences. In regions vvhere stones abound, fences have been built to serve the double purpose of a fence and of a place of deposit for surplus stones. They are substantial, but ex- pensive, on account of the labor required in their construction, and often wasteful of land, because they too frequently become merely long piles of stones around the fields. Sod Fences. Where both timber and stones are lacking, sod has been successfully employed in the construction of fences. At best, sod fences are makeshifts. Hedges. In England and other European coun- tries hedges are employed in place of fences to a much greater extent than in the United States. The objections to them are that they are slow of growth, expensive to keep in order, that they •draw' the adjacent land, harbor weeds, insects, etc.. and throw a considerable amount of land out of cultivation. There are many cases, bow- ever, in which the hedge proves both useful and ornamental. The favorite hedge plant in Eng-