POCKET. 



POLYPODY. 



contains, are not superior to those of several 

 other grasses, which afford a greater abundance 

 of herbage throughout the season. 



The fertile meadow-grass (P. fertilis}. It 

 produces flowers about the first and second 

 weeks of July, and seeds in the second week of 

 August. This grass, which is also a native of 

 Germany, seems to be allied to the Poa nono- 

 ralts. It differs in having the panicle more 

 loose and spreading, and less attenuated. The 

 spikelets are more oval, and nerved. The 

 culm rises from a foot and a half to 2 feet in 

 height, and sometimes more, ascending at the 

 base, afterwards erect, somewhat compressed. 

 The root is slightly creeping. In regard to 

 early growth, this grass stands next to the 

 meadow fox-tail, cock's-foot, and tall oat. The 

 herbage is more nutritive than that of either of 

 those grasses ; and from its agricultural merits 

 it deserves a place in the composition of rich 

 pastures, and ranks with the superior grasses 

 of irrigated meadows. It flowers in the begin- 

 ning of July, and the seed is ripe towards the 

 end of the month. 



The nerved meadow-grass (P.nervata). This 

 species is a native of North America. Pani- 

 cle upright, often half a foot or more in length, 

 with slender branches, pressed close and sub- 

 divided. Spikelets small, of a green colour. 

 Valves of the blossom smooth, having five 

 raised nerves on each valve. Leaves in two 

 rows, resembling a fan, somewhat rough. 

 Culm a little compressed. This grass is re- 

 markably hardy, and possesses many very ex- 

 cellent properties : it will be found a valuable 

 ingredient in permanent pastures, where the 

 soil is not too dry, but of a medium quality as 

 to moisture and dryness. The root leaves are 

 produced on a shoot, and stand in two rows 

 after the manner of a fan. This shoot, which 

 is formed by the union of the base of the leaves, 

 is very succulent, and contains a greater pro- 

 portion of nutritive matter than the leaves, 

 which accounts for the superior nutrient quali- 

 ties of the lattermath. It flowers in the third 

 week of June, and the seed is ripe in the last 

 week of July. 



POCKET. A large kind of bag in which 

 hops are packed up. 



POD. A term used to express the siliqua 

 and silicula of botanists. A seed-vessel of 

 some plants, consisting of two valves, sepa- 

 rated by a linear receptacle, along each of the 

 edges of which the seeds are alternately ranged. 

 The wall-flower affords an example of the rili- 

 qua, which differs from the silicula merely in 

 being oblong instead of being short and round. 

 The satin-flower, or honesty, bears a pouch or 

 silicula. 



POISON (Fr.). Any substance which in 

 small quantity disturbs, suspends, or destroys 

 one or more of the vital functions. Poisons are 

 classified by Orfila under the four heads of irri- 

 tants, narcotics, narcotico-acrids, and putrefi- 

 ants, or septics, and, we may add, sedatives. 

 The same poisons which affect men usually 

 affect horses, cows, and dogs ; but goats and 

 swine eat many things that are virulent poisons 

 to other animals. Sweet almonds and aloes 

 are poisonous to dogs; sugar is poison to 

 pigeons, parsley to parrots, and pepper to hogs, 



On the other hand, hogs devour Nux vomica and 

 henbane with impunity ; goats browse on Jlcon- 

 ite, Cicuta virosa, and Arnica montana, harmless; 

 and sheep eat common hemlock without suffer- 

 ing. See ANIMAL and VEGETABLE POISONS, 

 FUNGI, SHEKP, DISEASES OF, YEW, &c. 



POITTEVIN'S MANURE. Jf compound or- 

 ganic and earthy manure powder, well adapted 

 for the use of the drill. See MANURES APPLI- 

 CABLE BY THE DRILL. 



In three experiments with this manure, tried 

 in 1840, on turnips against bones, the following 

 are the results. 



First, on the stony soil. 

 21 bushels of Poittevin's - 

 16 bushels of bones ... 



Second, on a sandy soil. 

 21 bushels of Poitlevin's - 

 Ifi bushels of bones - 



Third, on a sandy soil with Swedes. 

 13 bushels of Poittevin's - 

 12 bushels of bones - - - 



Produce. 

 Tons. Cwt. 



9 

 - 10 



This manure answers best on light soils; it 

 is generally used too sparingly. 



POLE. A measure of length equal to 16$ feet. 



POLLARD. A name given to a tree that 

 has been frequently polled or lopped, and its 

 top taken off, or headed down to the stem, for 

 the purpose of fire-wood or small poles for 

 hurdle-wood and other similar uses, as well as 

 for hop-poles, &c. The term is most com- 

 monly in use in the southern and eastern dis- 

 tricts of Great Britain. Pollard is also applied 

 to the fine bran or inner husk of wheat. It is 

 a substance much used in feeding hogs and 

 different domestic animals. 



POLLEN. In botany, the pulverulent sub- 

 stance which fills the cells of the anthers of a 

 plant, consisting of a multitude of little hollow 

 cases, filled with a fluid holding very minute 

 molecular matter in suspension. The latter is 

 eventually discharged by the grains of pollen 

 through their hollow tubes, and is supposed to 

 be the spermatic fluid of a plant. When the 

 pollen alights on the stigma of the plant, the 

 membrane lining the shell is protruded to a 

 tube, which enters the stigma, and lengthens 

 until it reaches the ovule, into which it empties 

 the impregnating fluid. The pollen grains 

 vary in form and magnitude, being globular, 

 angular, compressed, simple, and compound. 

 Pollen is also a provincial name given to the 

 hen-roost. It is sometimes written hen-pollen. 



POLL-EVIL. An accident which sometimes 

 occurs to horses, from the animal's rubbing or 

 striking his head against the lower edge of the 

 manger, or hanging back in the stall and 

 bruising the part with the halter. Such inju- 

 ries are serious in their nature and difficult of 

 treatment, and will usually require the skill 

 and anatomical knowledge of the veterinary 

 surgeon. 



POLYPODY. (Polypodium, from poly, many, 

 and pous, a foot; having numerous root-like 

 feet. This is an extensive genus of very orna- 

 mental ferns. The hardy kinds are well 

 adapted for ornamenting rock-work, or they 

 may be grown in pots, in light loamy soil. 

 All the species may be readily increased by 

 dividing the roots, or by seeds. 



There are in England four indigenous spe- 

 cies. 



921 



