UNITED STATES 
               SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     Washington, D.C. 20549

                          SCHEDULE 13D

            Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                        (Amendment No. )*
                        THE SCOTTS COMPANY                       
                         (Name of Issuer)
                   Common Stock, $.01 par value                  
                 (Title of Class of Securities)
                          810186106                               
                         (CUSIP Number)
                          Alan M. Stark
                         80 Main Street
                  West Orange, New Jersey 07052
                       (201)325-8660                              
(Name Address, and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive
Notices and Communications)

                         October 24, 1997                      
     (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If this filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule
13G to report the acquisition which is the subject of this Schedule
13D, and is filing this schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4)
check the following box [ ].

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement
[ ].  (A fee is not required only if the reporting person: (1) has
a previous statement on file reporting beneficial ownership of more
than five percent of the class of securities described in Item 1;
and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent thereto reporting
beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)  (See
Rule 13d-7.)      NO LONGER APPLICABLE

Note:  Six copies of this statement, including all exhibits, should
be filed with the Commission.  See Rule 13d-1(a) for other parties
to whom copies are to be sent.

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a
reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the
subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment
containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a
prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall
not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the
liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all
other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).



                          SCHEDULE 13D


CUSIP No.   810186106              
__________________________________________________________________
     1)   Names of Reporting Person S.S. or I.R.S. Identification
          No. of Above Person

           LEON G. COOPERMAN 
           S.S. No. ###-##-####
 _________________________________________________________________
     2)   Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See
          Instructions)
                                                          (a) [ ]
                                                          (b) [X]
_________________________________________________________________
     3)   SEC Use Only
_________________________________________________________________
     4)   Source of Funds:
          WC        
_________________________________________________________________
     5)   Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings is Required
          Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e). . . . . . . . . . . . . 
          NOT APPLICABLE
_________________________________________________________________
     6)   Citizenship or place of Organization: 
          UNITED STATES
_________________________________________________________________
               (7)  Sole voting Power 
Number of           821,600 
Shares Bene-                                                     
ficially       (8)  Shared Voting Power
owned by            219,200
Each Report-                                                     
ing Person     (9)  Sole Dispositive Power 
With                821,600   
                                                                 
               (10) Shared Dispositive Power
                    219,200         
_________________________________________________________________
     11)  Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting
          Person:   1,040,800
_________________________________________________________________
     12)  Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) 
                    N/A
_________________________________________________________________
     13)  Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Box (11):
                    5.6%
_________________________________________________________________
     14)  Type of Reporting Person
               I N


 
Item 1.   Security and Issuer.
          This statement relates to the  common  stock, $.01 par
value (the "Common Stock" or the "Shares"), of THE SCOTTS COMPANY
("Company"), which has its principal executive offices at 14111
Scottslawn Road, Marysville, Ohio 43041.  
Item 2.   Identity and Background.
          This  statement  is  being  filed by Leon G. Cooperman,
("Cooperman").  Cooperman is the Managing Member of Omega
Associates, L.L.C. ("Associates"), a limited liability company 
organized under the laws of the State of Delaware.  Associates is
a private investment firm formed to invest in and act as general
partner of investment partnerships or similar investment vehicles. 
Associates is the general partner of three limited partnerships
organized under the laws of Delaware known as Omega Capital
Partners, L.P., Omega Institutional Partners, L.P., and Omega
Capital Investors, L.P.  They are private investment firms engaged
in the purchase and sale of securities for investment for their own
accounts.  The business address of Cooperman and the principal
business and office of Associates, Omega Capital Partners, L.P., 
Omega Institutional Partners, L.P., and Omega Capital Investors,
L.P., is c/o Omega Advisors, Inc., 88 Pine Street, Wall Street
Plaza - 31st Floor, New York, New York 10005.  Cooperman is a
citizen of the United States.

            Cooperman is also the President and majority
stockholder of Omega Advisors, Inc., a Delaware corporation,
engaged in providing investment management.  The address of the
principal business and office of Omega Advisors, Inc. is 88 Pine
Street, Wall Street Plaza - 31st Floor, New York, New York 10005. 
Omega Advisors, Inc. serves as investment manager to Omega Overseas
Partners, Ltd., and Cooperman is deemed to control said entities. 
Omega Overseas Partners, Ltd., is a Cayman Island corporation, with
a business address at British American Tower, Third Floor, Jennrett
Street, Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island, British West Indies. 
Omega Advisors, Inc. also serves with discretionary power as
investment manager to unrelated third parties (herein referred to
as the "Managed Account").  
          Neither  Cooperman  nor  any  of  the investment entities
controlled by him have, during the last five years, been convicted
in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar
misdemeanors), nor has any such person, during the last five years,
been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative
body of competent jurisdiction as a result of which any such person
was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining
future  violations  of, or  prohibiting  or  mandating activities
subject  to,  federal  or  state  securities  laws or finding any
violation with respect to such laws.
  
Item 3.  Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration.
          Cooperman beneficially owns 1,040,800 Shares.  Of this
amount, 315,500 Shares were purchased by Omega Capital Partners,
L.P., at a cost of $5,517,618; 27,500 Shares were purchased by
Omega Institutional Partners, L.P., at a cost of $553,108; 16,200
Shares were purchased by Omega Capital Investors, L.P., at a cost
of $434,296; 462,400 Shares were purchased by Omega Overseas
Partners, Ltd., at a cost of $9,319,376; and 219,200 Shares were
purchased by the Managed Account at a cost of $4,281,027.  The
source of funds for the purchase of all such Shares was investment
capital.
Item 4.  Purpose of Transaction.
          Cooperman has acquired the Shares for investment
purposes, and only in the ordinary course of business.
          In the ordinary course of business, Cooperman from time
to  time  evaluates  holdings  of  securities, and  based  on  such
evaluation, he may determine to acquire or dispose of securities of
specific issuers.
          Cooperman has no present plans or intentions which would
result  in  or  relate  to  any  of  the  transactions  described
in subparagraphs (a) through (j) of Schedule 13D.  
Item 5.  Interest in Securities of the Issuer.
          Based  upon the information contained in the Company's
10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 28, 1997, filed with the
Securities & Exchange Commission, there were 18,656,313 Shares of
Common Stock issued and outstanding on August 1, 1997.  Omega
Capital Partners, L.P., owns 315,500 Shares, or 1.7% of those
outstanding; Omega Institutional Partners, L.P., owns 27,500
Shares, or 0.1% of those outstanding; Omega Capital Investors,
L.P., owns 16,200 Shares, or 0.1% of those outstanding; Omega
Overseas Partners, Ltd., owns 462,400 Shares, or 2.5% of those
outstanding; and the Managed Account owns 219,200 Shares, or 1.2%
of those outstanding.  Cooperman possesses sole power to vote and
direct the disposition of all Shares of Common Stock owned by Omega
Overseas Partners, Ltd.  As to the 219,200 Shares owned by the
Managed Account, there would be shared power to dispose or to
direct the disposition of such Shares because the owners of the
Managed Account may be deemed beneficial owner of such Shares
pursuant to Rule 13d-3 under the Act as a result of their right to
terminate the discretionary account within a period of 60 days.
          The following details the transactions by each of Omega
Capital Partners, L.P., Omega Institutional Partners, L.P., Omega
Capital Investors, L.P., Omega Overseas Partners, Ltd., and the
Managed Account in shares of Common Stock within the 60 day period
prior to this filing.  All such transactions were open market
purchase transactions.  
                  Omega Capital Partners, L.P.
       Date of           Amount of           Price Per
     Transaction           Shares              Share  
     10/24/97             48,600             $26.61


               Omega Institutional Partners, L.P.

       Date of           Amount of           Price Per
     Transaction           Shares              Share  
     10/24/97              5,600             $26.61


                  Omega Capital Investors, L.P.

       Date of           Amount of           Price Per
     Transaction           Shares              Share  
     10/21/97             12,500             $26.79
     10/24/97              3,700              26.61


                  Omega Overseas Partners, L.P.

       Date of           Amount of           Price Per
     Transaction           Shares              Share  
     10/24/97             70,000             $26.61


                       The Managed Account

       Date of           Amount of           Price Per
     Transaction           Shares              Share  
     10/21/97             20,200             $26.79
     10/24/97             31,300              26.61



Item 6.  Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships 
          with Respect to Securities of the Issuer.     
          
         Except as described above, there are no contracts,
arrangements, understandings or relationships (legal or otherwise)
among the persons named in Item 2 hereof or between such persons
and any other person with respect to any securities of the Company,
including but not limited to transfer or voting of any other
securities, finder's fees, joint ventures, loan or option
arrangements, puts or calls, guarantees of profits, divisions of
profits or loss, or the giving or withholding of proxies.


Item 7.  Material to be Filed as Exhibits.
         There is no material to be filed as Exhibits.            
                         Signature
          After reasonable inquiry and to the best of the under-
signed's knowledge and belief, the undersigned hereby certifies
that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete
and correct.

Dated:  October 31, 1997


/s/ Alan M. Stark                 
ALAN M. STARK on behalf of LEON G.
COOPERMAN, pursuant to Power of 
Attorney on file. 


/s/ Alan M. Stark                 
ALAN M. STARK on behalf of LEON G.
COOPERMAN, as Managing Member of
Omega Associates, L.L.C. on behalf
of Omega Capital Partners, L.P.,
pursuant to Power of Attorney on file.


/s/ Alan M. Stark                
ALAN M. STARK on behalf of LEON G.
COOPERMAN, as Managing Member of
Omega Associates, L.L.C. on behalf
of Omega Institutional Partners, L.P.,
pursuant to Power of Attorney on file.


/s/ Alan M. Stark                
ALAN M. STARK on behalf of LEON G.
COOPERMAN, as Managing member of
Omega Associates, L.L.C. on behalf
of Omega Capital Investors, L.P.,
pursuant to Power of Attorney on file.


/s/ Alan M. Stark                
ALAN M. STARK on behalf of LEON G.
COOPERMAN, as President of Omega
Advisors, Inc., pursuant to Power
of Attorney on file.  

ATTENTION:  INTENTIONAL MISSTATEMENTS OR OMISSIONS OF FACT
CONSTITUTE FEDERAL CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS (SEE 18 U.S.C. 1001).