58 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



dwelling may be utilized to heat the greenhouse. Simple 

 " lean-to " houses are generally heated in this manner. 

 If the wall of the dwelling be of cement or brick, the prob- 

 lem of attaching the greenhouse is a simple one. If it 

 be of wood, care should be taken that the greenhouse, 

 with its warm, moist atmosphere, does not cause the foun- 

 dations of the structure to decay. 



53. " Lean-to " houses. A " lean-to " house is in- 

 expensive and easily heated, but as a rule the plants grown 

 in it do not receive maximum sunlight. Such houses 

 frequently are of value to a commercial range, for they 

 can be placed against a boiler house or other building, 

 where land can be utilized in no other way. They should 

 have a southern exposure and precautions should be taken 

 to prevent snow from sliding from the roof on to the glass. 

 " Lean-to " houses are excellent for those cool crops which 

 do not require maximum light conditions, but as the plants 

 get light from but one direction, they have a tendency to 

 be unsymmetrical. " Lean-to " houses are often used 

 commercially for violets or pansies, and may be utilized 

 for growing many plants of interest to the amateur flower- 

 grower. Simple, inexpensive, even-span houses may also 

 be attached to home buildings and heated in connection 

 with them. 



54. Hotbeds. Sometimes simple hotbeds are very 

 satisfactory places in which to grow flowering plants. 

 They should be located in a protected spot. If they 

 are south of an evergreen windbreak, the location is 

 more ideal (Fig. 8, lower). They may be built along 

 the south side of a dwelling house and heated by one or 

 two pipes from the house boiler. Often enough heat 

 may be obtained from windows that open into the cel- 

 lar or into the greenhouse (Fig. 7). 



