Friday 1st It was a very fine day. The Shearers did not commence to shear until the afternoon as the wool on the sheep was damp.
I finished digging out stones on the piece of ground opposite the cucumbers. I dug out all the Artichokes and hoed the Onions, both sowed and transplanted with the Dutch hoe.
Saturday 2nd It was a very fine day. The men were pulling foxglove at the back. The shearers finished shearing about 3 pm and they all went back to their homes. I forked over the piece of ground in the corner where the artichokes grew, also dug out a lot of stone near the orange tree.
Sunday 3rd It was a very fine day. Henry was paring the rams hoofs & in the pm he took them over the other side of Pembertons. Harry Williams came to be settled up with. He sold his saddle to Mr Phipps as he is going down to Gisborne to his home.
Monday 4th It was a very hot day. Henry went over to Jack’s place early this morning as they are going to commence shearing to day. Carpenter was helping to clear the river bed of stones for a road. The Schneiderman’s were splitting rails. I wrote a long letter to John Greenwood and Carpenter took it down to Halliwells to post it.
I was digging in the garden and taking out stones.
Tuesday 5th It was a very hot day. The Schneidermans were splitting rails on the road below this place. Carpenter & Mr Phipps were pulling foxglove.
I was working in the garden, I sowed broadcast in a bed, Red Beet, St Johns Day Cabbage & Drumhead Lettuce, digging out stones & sorrel.
Wednesday 6th It was a very hot day. The Schneidermans were splitting rails. Mr Phipps & Carpenter were pulling foxglove. Henry returned from Jack’s place, they finished shearing there yesterday afternoon. I was working in the garden all day. I sowed 1 Row of Oxheart Carrot next the Peerless Peas (Suttons).
Thursday 7th It was a very hot day. The Schneidermans were splitting posts. Henry was branding and altering some calves in the morning, after that he, Mr Phipps & Carpenter were pulling foxglove. I was working in the garden, I sowed 2 rows Oxheart Carrot next to the one I sowed yesterday, also prepared some ground ready for sowing beet.
Friday 8th It was a very dull day & it came on to rain late in the pm. Mr Phipps & Carpenter were pulling foxglove. Henry & the Schneidermans went to Pembertons to muster cattle to brand some calves. I sowed 2 Rows Red Beet. Copied out an order to J. Tetley for goods & Carpenter took the letter down to Halliwells when he came home from work.
Saturday 9th It was a fine day. The men were distributed about doing different kinds of work.
I forked over the piece of ground near the fowl yard.
Carpenter went to Te Araroa in the evening.
Sunday 10th It was a fine day.
Jack came over in the morning bringing a spare horse with him for me to ride back with him, he had dinner here and we started over there soon after, arriving there about 4.30 pm.
Thomas, one of Jack’s men returned from Te Araroa in the evening bringing the mail.
Monday 11th It was a fine day. Jack & the men were repairing a fence near the river. I weeded the Onions and and forking out sorrel round the young fruit trees.
Tuesday 12th It was fine in the morning but there was a shower in the afternoon. Somers went down to Te Araroa with a pack horse to get some goods, he returned late at night bringing the mail.
Jack and Thomas were mustering cattle. I was forking out sorrel in the garden.
Wednesday 13th It was a fine day. I returned to Tangihanga by myself and did not get lost this time, away here nearly 11 am. The men were repairing fences at the back, Lew Schneiderman had left Henry’s employ while I was away, he is now working at McWhites. In the afternoon I forked over a piece of ground next the sown carrots.
Thursday 14th It was a fine day. It came over cloudy and seemed as if it was going to rain, and I think it was raining in the other valley. The men were mustering cattle at the back. I finished forking over the piece of ground next the sown carrots, I sowed another row of Red Beet and dug up between the first planted Tomatoes.
Friday 15th It was a very hot day. The men mustered a lot of cattle in the cow yard, there must have been quite 200, they branded over 43 calves, they did not get finished until nearly dark. I was working in the garden, I sowed 2 rows of Pale Dun Beans next to the others.
Saturday 16th It was a very fine day. The men mustered some more cattle, mostly Black Polled Angus, & branded 13 fine calves. I sowed another row of Pale Dun Beans, was digging out stones and weeding Onions.
Sunday 17th It was a very fine day. Carpenter went over to Ahomatariki to get some draft horses to cart wool and Henry went to Pembertons to get horses and two black bulls.
Lew came with young Downey to get his clothes and they staid for lunch. I staid at home and wrote a letter to Grace and enclosed it in the one I wrote to Willie while I was at Jack’s place.
Monday 18th It was a very hot day. I sowed 1 Row of Carrots & 2 Rows of Parsnips.
Mr Phipps & Willie [?] were fencing at the back, Carpenter took the waggon up to the wool shed ready for loading and afterwards cleared the river bed down to Halliwells. Henry went down to Bristow to get some sheep.
Tuesday 19th It was a very fine day. Carpenter took the first load of 8 Bales of Wool in the wagon down to Te Araroa. Henry & I also drove down in the buggy. We had dinner & tea at the Hotel, called at Mrs Hansons and had a look in at the new Church. I called on Mr & Mrs Whitehead and had afternoon tea there, Mr W. showed me the school and childrens gardens.
Henry had a lot of business to transact and I did some shopping. As 6 of the horses had to be shod we could not leave very early, we did not get home till 10.30 pm.
Wednesday 20th It was a fine day. Jack & Thomas brought some steers from the other place which they put at the back. They both had lunch here & Jack stayed tea. Mr Phipps & Billey were fencing, Henry & Carpenter packing the wool on the wagon ready for tomorrow. I was working in the garden, I planted out 54 Plants of Onions & sowed 5 short rows of Red Beet.
Thursday 21st A steady rain all day. I staid in the house and directed [decorated?] several Xmas & New Year Cards and wrote long letters to Willie Dunning & Mr Grindrod and enclosed them with their cards.
Carpenter took the waggon down to Te Araroa with 8 bales of wool, he reports the roads very heavy.
Friday 22nd There was a steady rain all day. When not raining the men were hoeing out the weeds in the enclosure near the wool shed and Henry planted some Kumeras. I was in the house nearly all day reading.
Saturday 23rd A misty rain all day. Mr Phipps was cutting firewood, Henry & the other men were hoeing out weeds & planting Kumeras.
They got some Sheep in in the afternoon, took the shorn ones from the others and then turned them out again.
Sunday 24th It was a fine day. Mr & Mrs Halliwell came to spend the day with us, we had our Xmas dinner to day as Henry & I going over to Jack’s place tomorrow to spend Christmas.
Monday 25th It was a fine day. Carpenter came from Te Araroa late last night bringing Mr Jones with him. He is in charge of the shed on the wharf. Henry & I drove to Jack’s place to spend Christmas, we had to go down to the letter box and then go up the other valley, it was pretty late when we got there. Thomas was the only man left of their men, the others are gone to Auckland. They gave us turkey, plum pudding, mince pies and other good things. Henry & I staid the night.
Tuesday 26th Boxing Day. It kept fine although it threatened rain. There were sports at Te Araroa to day, the proceeds to go to the Belgium Fund. Henry, Lily & Milley drove in the buggey, Jack & I riding, when about a mile down the river from Jack’s place the pole of the buggy broke and it had to be fixed up with a kicker [?] & wire which considerably delayed us. I only went down as far as the letter box and then from there I walked home. The others proceeded on to Te Araroa. Jack & Lily rode to their home and Milley came with Henry in the buggey. They did not reach here until 8 pm.
Wednesday 27th It rained nearly all day. Was not able to do anything out of doors. Mr & Mrs Phipps & Billey Schneideman did not return from Te Araroa until the evening.
Thursday 28th There were several smart showers during the day. Henry & Milley rode over to Pembertons with a pack horse and brought home a lot of Xmas plums.
Billey was planting maize in the cultivation, Mr Phipps was cutting logs for snigging. I was getting pea sticks & digging out stones.
Friday 29th It was a fine day, with the exception of one or two slight showers. Tommy Tart was mustering his sheep in Henrys yard at Pembertons so Henry went over there to see if there were any of his there. Billey was planting maize, Mr Phipps was cleaning the Kumeras.
I rode down to Halliwells to get him to post some letters for me, I stuck the Stratagem Peas & dug between them.
Saturday 30th It was a fine day. Henry, Millie, Bill Shneideman & I rode over to Jack’s place in the morning leading the stallion Star, after lunch Henry & Bill took Star down to the river & snigged out of the bush and put into the river 14 stockyard posts. Afterwards they started to float them. I was weeding Jack’s onions.
Sunday 31st It was a fine day. In the morning they castrated the little chestnut stallion. On account of Henry feeling severe pains in his back he rode down to Te Araroa to consult the doctor. He brought Jack’s mail back with him.
In the afternoon I walked up the hill to see the lake.
Jack & Lily rode round the station.