82 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



his father's orchard. Till about this time, everybody had depended 

 on their home grown seedling apples, the best being saved for eating, 

 and the bad going first to cider, and later to brandy. After follow- 

 ing the grafter all day and hearing his wonderful stories of "big 

 red," "large yellow," and "that great white apple," all "so sweet, so 

 mellow, so juicy," is it strange that the boy was seen next morning 

 in the orchard with a dish of clay, a wad of tow and a huge dull 

 butcher knife? Not being able to get at the apple trees, he fell at a 

 clump of quince shrubs but after many efforts left them in disgust 

 and went to a choice young plum tree, for which his father had paid 

 a large price. Here he renewed his efforts, and with vigorous 

 strokes hacked the tree nearly off. 



When he was eight years old his father bought a farm in War- 

 ren, eight miles north of their former home. His first leisure hours 

 found him gathering stone and walling in a rod of ground, which he 

 soon filled with shrubs and flowers. At thirteen he was hired out to 

 Nelson A. Depew, to work on the farm six months at six dollars per 

 month. 



When seventeen, he taught his first school in Sussex county, N. 

 J., commencing his first term with ten pupils and a very limited edu- 

 cation. He taught three terms, closing with fifty pupils, two of 

 whom had families. 



Returning to Connecticut, he began attendance at the Howards 

 high school. Three weeks later young Gaylord was called on to 

 teach by the director of a rural school which was considered an un- 

 usually hard school. Knowing this and his own need of a better 

 education, he at first refused, but after much urging accepted, in 

 case he could secure a certificate, of which he had slight hopes. He 

 appeared before the examining committee, and after a long and te- 

 dious examination was ushered into another room, where, after 

 waiting some time, the chairman came and handed him a small fold 

 of paper, which he still keeps, to the no small surprise of his friends. 

 Here he learned that the boys had had a great time with the last 

 teacher, who had left after being admonished by them that they 

 would tar and feather him if he ever darkened their school house 

 door. The fact that this teacher was older and stronger than him- 

 self served to increase his anxiety as to what would be the outcome. 

 However, he appeared punctually at his post. Here he found the 

 house full of big rustling boys who seemed to feel that they were 

 the supreme masters of all they surveyed. With grave apprehension 

 he rapped for order, and in a moment all was still. He addressed 

 the motley crowd with a few kind but impressive words, and at 

 once began to seat and classify the pupils. Suffice it to say that he 



