What Makes The Difference ?

A splendid bush of the Mrs. John Laing rose, which has been filling the house with pleasant odor from its many blossoms, is standing in the window. This rose is only of recent introduction, but is surely winning its way to the hearts of the rose growers, although no great stir has been made over it, as was done when the now almost worthless Majesty was brought out. For two seasons, both in the greenhouse and out of doors, the former has proved for me a most gratifying success, while the latter, under like conditions for three years, has proved almost an unmitigated failure in everything, except that it makes a fair growth. Why two roses so much alike, and from the same English source, should so greatly differ in worth, seems to me a problem worthy of serious consideration. - E. E. Summey, Niagara Co., N. Y.

Nigella Sativa.

When To Apply Nitrate Of Soda. C. E. I

For the vegetable garden this should be applied in the spring and be raked in ; spading would place it too deep.

Prices Of Nitrate Of Soda. C. E. I

The article quoted by you at $3.75 a hundred pounds at St. Louis is the regular commercial nitrate of soda, 96 per cent. pure. The quotation to which you refer, of 15c. per pound, was for a chemically pure article.

Quantity Of Nitrate Of Soda To Apply. C. E. I

A liberal dressing for a vegetable garden, as black loam with clay subsoil, would be an ounce to the square yard, equal to about 300 lbs. per acre.

Where The Opopanax (Acacia Farnesiana) Grows

The following extracts have been taken from letters which have been received in answer to the questions regarding Acacia Farnesiana, asked by "K." in the January American Garden (page 58) :

From C. If. Dorset, Savannah, Ga.: "I want to say that Savannah is the home of the opopanax. In our garden here there are large trees covered with it".

From W. B. Conard, Sharon Hill, Pa.: "The opopanax mentioned in The American Garden is described under the head of acacia, both in Johnson'

Where To Grow Potatoes

A successful eastern farmer gave me a hint that has paid well. He made his money in potatoes. He always planted heavily when potatoes were cheap in the spring, and lightly when seed was dear in the spring. Everybody plants when seed is dear, and vice versa. When everybody grows potatoes, potatoes are cheap in the winter, and vice versa. - S. B. D.

Where To Obtain Aquatics

Mrs. B. C - Almost anything in the line of aquatic plants may be obtained of E. D. Sturtevant, Bordentown, N. J., whose advertisement appears in The American Garden.

White Egg-Plant

A Louisiana subscriber is puzzled bcause he "planted seed of a long purple eggplant, and one plant produced white fruit. It is fine, and of a beautiful yellow color when cooked." The peculiar plant was due to nothing more, probably, than a mixture in the seed. There are several white egg-plants catalogued, but they are commonly supposed to be inferior to the purple sorts for table use. We made a careful test of some of the white varieties last season, however, and found them fully as good as the colored kinds.