160 Subtropical Gardening. 



but the leaves are magnificent, and they stand the rain 

 and storms of our northern climes with little laceration, 

 while all the other kinds of Musa become torn into 

 shreds. It has hitherto been generally grown in stoves ; 

 but it is an interesting and, until recently, little known 

 fact, that the finest of all the Banana or Musa tribe 

 is also the hardiest and most easily preserved. When 

 grown for the open air it will of course require to be 

 kept in a house during winter and planted out the first 

 week in June. In any place where there is a large con- 

 servatory or winter-garden it will be found most valu- 

 able, either for planting therein or for keeping over the 

 winter, as, if merely housed in such a structure during 

 the cold months, it will prove a great ornament among 

 the other plants, while it may be put out in summer, 

 when the attraction is all out of doors. Other kinds of 

 Musa have been tried in the open air in England, but 

 have barely existed, making it clear that they should 

 not be so cultivated in this country. M. Ensete is the 

 only species really worth growing in this way. Where 

 the climate is too cold to put it out of doors in summer, 

 it should be grown in all conservatories in which it is de- 

 sired to establish the noblest type of vegetation. It also 

 stands the drought and heat of a dwelling-house remark- 

 ably well, and though, when well developed, it is much too 

 big for any but Brobdingnagian halls, the fact may never- 

 theless be taken much advantage of by those interested 

 in room-decoration on a large scale. The plant is diffi- 

 cult to obtain as yet, but will, I trust, be soon made 

 abundant by our nurserymen. 



In September, 1868, I saw a fine plant of this Musa 



