POA. 



POA. 



soon as the fruit is formed, and should remain 

 till it begins to ripen. 



The following, among other remedies that 

 have heen suggested, may be found useful in 

 checking the ravages of the plum-weevil. Let 

 the trees be briskly shaken or suddenly jarred 

 every morning and evening during the time 

 that the insects appear in the beetle form, and 

 are engaged in laying their eggs. When thus 

 disturbed they contract their legs and fall ; and, 

 as they do not immediately attempt to fly or 

 crawl away, they may be caught in a sheet 

 spread under the tree, from which they should 

 be gathered into a large, wide-mouthed bottle or 

 other tight vessel, and be thrown into the fire. 

 All the fallen wormy plums should be immedi- 

 ately gathered, and after they are boiled or 

 steamed, to kill the enclosed grubs, they may 

 be given as food to swine. The diseased ex- 

 crescences should be cut out and burned every 

 year before the last of June. The moose plum 

 tree (Prunus dmericand), which grows wild in 

 Maine, seems to escape the attacks of insects, 

 for no warts are found upon it, even when 

 growing in the immediate vicinity of diseased 

 foreign trees. It would, therefore, be the best 

 of stocks for budding or engrafting upon. It 

 can easily be raised from the stone, and grows 

 rapidly, but does not attain a great size. For 

 further suggestions and remarks, the account 

 of this insect by Dr. Joel Burnett, in the 18th 

 volume of the New England Farmer, may be 

 consulted. (Harris.) 



Plums, nectarines, and apricots have been 

 saved after being stung, by extracting the stung 

 part. This may be done with the point of a 

 knife or nippers properly adapted to the pur- 



- pose. The wounds heal and the fruit grows 

 and attains to perfect maturity. 



POA (From pna, signifying grass or her- 

 bage). The meadow-grass. A genus of grasses 

 of considerable extent, and very abundant in 

 the pasturages of Europe. This genus con- 



tains some valuable hay and pasture grasses, 

 succeeding well in rich loamy soil ; some of 

 the species are aquatic, growing only in water, 

 or in very moist situations ; and increased by 

 seeds or divisions of the roots. Poa anmta, pi. 

 6, f, is the most common of all grasses. P. tri~ 

 vialis and P. pratensis are sown extensively as 

 a part of the artificial grasses for pastures and 

 lawns, which are now commonly made with 

 picked grasses instead of "hay seeds." In 

 general these grasses appear to be nutritious 

 and agreeable to cattle. There are, in Eng- 

 land, nine indigenous species, besides several 

 varieties. 



1. Flat-stalked meadow-grass (P.compressa), 

 pi. 7, h. This is a very common species in 

 dry, barren ground, flowering from June to Sep- 

 tember. 



The root is moderately creeping, with downy 

 fibres ; stems obliquely ascending in the lower 

 part, then erect and often crowded together, 

 from 1 to H foot high, remarkably compressed, 

 by which this species may readily be known, 

 as also by a sudden contraction where the 

 panicle begins. Leaves short, narrow, rough- 

 ish, especially at the edges, with long com- 

 pressed sheaths, and a short obtuse stipule. 

 The whole planr is more or less glaucous. 



Florets from three to eight or nine, connected 

 at the base by a mass of white folded threads, 

 as fine and soft as a spider's web, which may 

 be drawn out to a considerable length. This 

 grass, though not succulent, is eaten by all 



I cattle, but cannot be cultivated in moist or 

 manured ground. It never forms a close turf, 



I and although it possesses superior nutritive 

 powers, its produce anywhere is far from 

 abundant. 



A variety of this species (P. c. var. erecta) is 

 mentioned by Sinclair, which differs from the 

 last, in having culms more upright, less com- 

 pressed, and produced in greater quantities. It 

 grows closer, forms a pretty good sward, and 

 the roots are less inclined to creeping. But it 

 is nevertheless inferior in point of early growth, 

 and the produce of the foliage. See BLUE GRASS. 



2. Alpine meadow-grass (P. alpina), pi. 6, /. 

 This species is chiefly confined to alpine re- 

 gions and lofty mountains. 



3. Wavy meadow-grass (P. laxa). This spe- 

 cies grows in some of the Highlands of Scot- 

 land. It possesses no agricultural merit. 



4. Bulbous meadow-grass (P. bulbosa). This 

 species tenants the sandy sea-shore, and other 

 dry, barren ground. It is perennial, and flowers 

 in April and May. 



5. Koughish meadow-grass (P. trivialis), pi. 

 5, i. Tl>is is a very common species, in mea- 

 dows and pastures, especially such as are 

 rather moist. Perennial, flowering from June 

 to October. The root is fibrous, and tufted; 

 the stems several, about eighteen inches high, 

 erect, leafy, with several knots, the naked part 

 cylindrical, roughish to the touch, as are the 

 edges and backs of the flat, slightly spreading, 

 lax, linear, deep-green leaves. In their long 

 compressed sheaths also a slight roughness is 

 sometimes perceptible. Panicle large, spread- 

 ing with half-whorled, horizontal, wavy, angu- 

 lar, rough-compressed, unequal branches. Mr. 

 Curtis, deeply versed in the practical economy 

 of grasses, declares this to be one of the most 

 valuable for pasturage and hay, yielding abun- 

 dantly, though not particularly early ; and of 

 the most excellent quality. Mr. G. Sinclair, 

 another practical authority on the grasses, also 

 observes, "The superior produce of this Poa 

 over many other species, its highly nutritive 

 qualities, the seasons in which it arrives at 

 perfection, and the marked partiality which 

 oxen, horses, and sheep have for it, are merits 

 which distinguish it as one of the most valu- 

 able of those grasses which affect moist, rich 

 soils and sheltered situations : but in dry, ex- 

 posed situations it is altogether inconsiderable; 

 it yearly diminishes, and ultimately dies off, 

 not unfrequently in the space of four or five 

 years. Its produce is always much greater 

 when combined with other grasses than when, 

 cultivated by itself; with a proper admixture, 

 it will nearly double its produce, though on the 

 same soil, so much does it delight in shelter. 

 Those spots in pastures that are closely eaten, 

 down, consist for the most part of this grass.'* 



6. Smooth-stalked meadow-grass (P. praten- 

 sis), pi. 5, h. This is a very common species 

 in all meadows and pastures. It is perennial, 

 flowering in May and June. The root is strong 

 and creeping, with horizontal runners. The 



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