FEU 



FEV 



FERN. See FIMCES. Fern is very 

 common in dry and barren places. It is 

 one of the worst of weeds for lands, and 

 very bard to destroy, where it has any 

 thing of a deep soil to root in. In some 

 grounds the roots of it are found to the 

 depth of eight feet. One of the most ef- 

 fectual ways to destroy it is often mowing 

 the grass, and if the field be ploughed 

 up, plentiful dunging thereof is very 

 good|; but a most certain remedy for it is 

 urine. However, fern, cut while the sap 

 is in it, and left to rot upon the ground, 

 is a very great improver of land ; for if 

 burnt, when so cut, its ashes will yield 

 double the quantity of alkali that any 

 other vegetable can do. 



In several places in the north, the in- 

 habitants mow it green, and burning it to 

 ashes, make those ashes up into balls with 

 a little water, which they dry in the sun, 

 and make use of them to wash their linen 

 with, looking upon it to be nearly as good 

 us soap for that purpose. 



FERON[A, in botany, a genus of the 

 Decandria Monogynia class and order. 

 Calyx five-parted ; petals five ; berry glo- 

 bular, covered with a hard, rough, woody 

 shell; one-celled; seeds numerous. There 

 is but one species, viz. F. elephantum, 

 elephant apple-tree, found in the East In- 

 dies. See Linn. Trans, vol. v. 



FERRARI A, in botany, so named in 

 honour of John Baptist Ferrarius, a ge- 

 nus of the Gynandria Trigynia class and 

 order. Natural order of Ensatse. Irides, 

 Jussieu. Essential character: one-styl- 

 ed; spathes one-flowered; petals six, 

 waved and curled ; stigmas cowled ; cap- 

 sule three-celled, inferior. There are two 

 species. 



FERRET. See MUSTELA. 



FERRETS, among glass-makers, the 

 iron with which the workmen try the 

 melted metal, to see if it be fit to work. 



FERREOLA, in botany, a genus of 

 theDioecia Hexandria class and order. 

 Essential character : calyx one-leafed, 

 three-cleft; corolla one-petalled, three- 

 cleft ; male, filaments six, inserted into 

 a, semi-globose receptacle : female, germ 

 oval ; berry round, smooth, two-seeded. 

 There is but one species ; viz. F. buxi- 

 folia. 



FERRUGINOUS, any thing partaking 

 of iron, or that contains particles of 

 that metal. See IRON. It is particu- 

 larly applied to certain mineral springs, 

 whose waters are impregnated with the 

 particles of iron, generally termed chaly- 

 beates. 



FERRY, in law, is a liberty by pre- 

 scription, or the King's grant, to have a 

 boat for passage upon a river, for carriage 

 of horses and men for reasonable toll 

 Owner of a ferry, cannot suppress that 

 ferry, and put up a bridge in its place, 

 without a license. And if a ferry be 

 granted at this day, he who accepts such 

 grant is bound to keep a- boat for the 

 public good. 



FERRULA, in botany, English fennel- 

 giant, a genus of the Pentandria Digynia 

 class and order. Natural order of Um- 

 bellatse. Essential character : fruit oval, 

 plane, compressed, with three streaks on 

 each side. There are nine species. 



FESSE, in heraldry, one of the nine 

 honourable ordinaries; consisting of a line 

 drawn directly across the shield, from 

 side to side, and containing the third 

 part of it, between the honour-point and 

 the nombril. It represents a broad gir- 

 dle or belt of honour, which knights at 

 arms were anciently girded with. 



FESSE point is the exact centre of the 

 escutcheon. 



FESSE -ways, or in FESSE, denotes any 

 thing borne after the manner of a fesse : 

 that is, in a rank across the middle of 

 the shield. 



FESSE, party per, implies a parting 

 across the middle of the shield, from side 

 to side, through the fesse point. 



FESTINO, in logic, the third mood 

 of the second figure of syllogism, the 

 first proposition whereof is an universal 

 negative, the second a particular affirma? 

 tive, and the third a particular negative : 

 as in the following example : 



FES No bad man can be happy : 

 TI Some rich men are bad men : 

 NO Ergo, some rich men are not 

 happy. 



FESTUCA, in botany, English fescue 

 grass, a genus of the Triandna Digynia 

 class and order. Natural order of Gra- 

 minae, or grasses. Essential character : 

 calyx two-valved; spikelet oblong, round- 

 ish, with acuminate glumes. There are 

 twenty-six species. 



FEUDS. Estates in lands were ori- 

 ginally at will, and then they were call- 

 ed numera ; afterwards they were for 

 life, and then they were called benefida; 

 and for that reason the livings of clergy- 

 men are so called at this day : after, 

 wards they were made hereditary, when 

 they were called feoda, and in our law 

 fee-simple. 



FEVER. See MEDICINE. 



