Wednesday 1st It was a fine day, but the ground was too wet to dig. Willie & I were pulling up tea tree in the front. We tried to get Kate in to milk her, but she broke through all the fences and got into Archie Dunnings land.
Jane took Horace home in the pm returning again in the evening.
Miss Niccol & Miss Mitchell were here to spend the evening.
Thursday 2nd It was a fine day. Kate came back during the night and we found her in the front paddock this morning. George Wyatt came to help us get her in to milk her, he had a rope round the calfs neck but it pulled back and slipped it off and the cow & calf broke out of the front paddock and cleared down the bush hill.
Willie & I were digging in this orchard all day.
Friday 3rd It was fine during the day, but it rained in the evening. Willie, Jane and I were digging in this orchard.
Mr C. Newman a Parliamentary Candidate addressed the electors in the Hall in the evening, there was a faire audience considering the weather, I was chairman. There was a meeting of the Hall Committee after the political meeting.
Saturday 4th It was rather showery in the morning, I was digging in this orchard. There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the afternoon. Dan Kempt was here for tea and he, Jane & I went to the orchestral practice, it was held at Mrs Gravatts.
It was blowing a gale of wind from the SW which is playing havoc with the fruit trees.
Sunday 5th It was a fine day but the wind is still blowing strong from SW and there was a little dusty rain. I called at Charlies and Walter Frearsons in the morning. I read service in the Hall in the pm, there was a fair congregation. We had a Collection to pay for the repair of the Organ which realised 11/- . Mr G. Knaggs gave me yesterday 2/- & D. Kempt 1/- for this object.
Monday 6th It was a fine day. Ernest came to work here to day at 25/- per week, but he is to go home to sleep – only having his dinner here, we finished digging in the middle of the orchard and then we commenced to dig the other side of the gully near the Coes Late Red.
Willie took the bullocks down to the Store in the morning and brought up 100 lbs Flour and afterwards we hauled a load of firewood.
We killed a Sheep in the evening, a black faced one, it was very fat.
Tuesday 7th It was fine in the morning and we continued digging in the orchard. There was a steady rain in the afternoon and we were not able to work out of doors, Ernest sheard some skins. I took the bullocks down to the Steamer in the evening the Rose Casey came very late as she was bringing the timber for the new Hall, so I took the bullocks home and came down again to help get the timber ashore and stack it. Commenced using the Bag of Flour got from Harpers.
Wednesday 8th It was a beautiful day. The election for the Office of County Councillor took place in the public Hall. I was at the Hall all day acting as Scrutineer for Charlie Wyatt.
Thursday 9th It was a fine day. We were digging in the orchard all day.
Friday 10th It was a fine day. We were digging in the orchard all day, we finished digging at the bottom of the orchard near the Sea Eagle Peach. We then finished digging the ground that was in Kumeras last year, also under the Beurre Diel Pear Tree.
I went to the Library in the evening.
Saturday 11th I took the bullocks down to the Wharf and helped haul up the Hall timber, there were 7 teams hauling and plenty of willing hands helping to load and unload, we finished about 3 pm.
I went down to the wharf again and got some stone for a gate way also a shark for manure, empty egg box & ½ bushel Wheat from Harpers. Minnie & Willie went fishing to Ti Point and brought home some fish.
Sunday 12th It was very dull in the morning, and it rained steadily in the afternoon. There was no service
Monday 13th It was very showery in the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon. Ernest Wyatt did not come to work today. Willie & I cleared out the workshop in the morning ready for shearing. In the afternoon we were cutting tea tree and diggin up briars in the cow paddock.
In the afternoon John Wyatt came to make a declaration as a Deputy Returning Officer, and Mr Sadler came in the evening for the same purpose.
Tuesday 14th It was very fine in the morning, but it rained in the afternoon. Ernest came to work and we continued digging in this orchard.
I took the bullocks down to the wharf in the afternoon and hauled up 100 lbs Flour that Dumper sent in place of the bag of damaged Flour I returned last week, 2 Woolpacks, empty Egg Box & a Bushel of Maize from Harpers. The “Rose Casey” took several passengers to the Auckland Agricultural Show.
Wednesday 15th It was blowing a gale of wind from the SE. John Greenwood Jnr brought some sheep yesterday afternoon and put them in the new Sheep Pen, he was the first to use it for Sheep. He intended to ship them this morning by the “Kapanui” but on account of the very rough weather the Steamer would not take them so John had to take them home again. The Kapanui had a very rough time going across to Takatea Point, the seas seemed to be washing over her.
we finished digging in this orchard, and in the afternoon we went over to the farm orchard and commenced to dig there. We commenced on the outside at the furtherest away Orlean Tree.
Mr A. Dunning came to register the birth of his child and I went with him down to the Hall in the evening to hear an Address by Mr E. Ford a Candidate for Parliament. There were a good many present considering the rough weather.
Thursday 16th The wind was still blowing very strong from the SE, there is a terrible sea running outside. We were digging in the farm orchard all day.
Friday 17th The wind still blowing very strong from SE. It rained a little in the afternoon. We were digging in the farm orchard. We finished the strip where the Orlean Plums are planted near the slip rails and we commenced to dig the other side in the afternoon.
I went to Mr G. Knaggs in the afternoon to get some information for the road board.
Saturday 18th The wind was still blowing strong from the SE, but not so bad as yesterday. Ernest & Willie were digging in the farm orchard.
I walked to Dacres Claim to meet Danl Kempt & Mr Birdsall to lay out work for the road board. We had dinner at Mr Birdsalls. Minnie returned from Matakana in the evening.
Sunday 19th It was a fine day, but the wind was still blowing, but it has gone to the NE.
Revd R. Mckinney preached in the Hall in the morning, there was a large congregation , I attended. It was the first time the Revd gentleman has conducted service here since his buggy accident. Two children were baptised namely Cyrus James Haskell & Alfred Dunning.
I went to have a look at the new road which is being made across Mr Handby’s land. I called in at Mr Handbys and had tea there.
Monday 20th It rained in the morning. Ernest Wyatt did not come here to work on account of the weather, Willie & I were pulling and cutting tea tree in the cow paddock in the morning.
Miss Niccol & Miss Mitchell were here for tea and they staid all night. The “Kapanui” came in the evening, Jack Cruickshank came up by her, he borrowed our horse Empress to go home, his sister brought a horse over for him, but they missed one another so she came here and staid all night. We killed a Sheep in the evening.
Tuesday 21st It was a showery day. Ernest came here to work, we continued digging in the farm orchard. I took the bullocks down to the wharf in the morning, it was after 9 oclock when the “Rose Casey” arrived, she brought back the excursionists to the Auckland Show, she also brought the remainder of the Hall timber.
I hauled up a Sack of Maize, empty Egg box that came by the Steamer and ½ bushel of Wheat that I got at Harpers.
Wednesday 22nd There was a heavy shower of rain first thing in the morning, but it cleared up a bit and the pm was fine. We continued digging in the farm orchard, the water was lying in pools in the lower places.
Mr Jenkins came in the morning to take the agricultural statistics. Mr Handby came in the evening to buy some mutton.
Thursday 23rd It was a fine day. Ernest was working here, we finished digging the farm orchard. We have been 6 days altogether digging the Farm Orchard, the reason it has taken us so long is because there were so many docks going up to seed which we dug out and burned them in heaps.
In the afternoon we were working in the garden below the house.
We sowed 1 Row Strategem Peas, 1 Row Skinless Peas and 1 Row of Dun Beans.
Mr Hall of Hall & Perkins called in the afternoon and staid for tea.
Miss Clara Fordham held a Choir Practice in the Hall in the evening.
Friday 24th It was a fine day. Ernest was working here in the morning but he took a holiday in the afternoon. We sowed 2 rows of Dun Beans next to the others, we then commenced digging below the dining room window next the rhubarb roots for pumpkins.
Mr R. Monk addressed the electors in the Hall at 2.30, on account of the unusual hour very few attended and they were mostly ladies. Mr Monk also addressed the electors at Dacres Claim in the evening, I walked over to hear him and did not get home until 12.30.
There was a ball at Pakiri in the evening, the girls went and Miss Darroch came home with them and staid here.
Saturday 25th It was a fine day. I cleaned out the pig sty in the morning and bedded the sty with rushes. Willie went to Ti Point to fish and brought home 5 large schnappers. I took the bullocks down to the wharf in the afternoon and helped to haul up some timber for the Hall.
Miss Darroch went with Jane to the Orchestral practice in the evening.
Sunday 26th It was fine in the morning , but it came over dull it was showery in the afternoon and it was a wet evening. I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was only a small congregation.
Monday 27th It was a fine day. In the morning we continued digging below the house for pumpkins. In the afternoon we went and commenced to mend the fence between Frearsons and our place. In the evening there was a choir practice in the Hall, Willie and I went.
Minnie went to Matakana in the morning to sew for Mrs G. Cruickshank.
We put Dunnings Bull inside here.
Tuesday 28th It was a fine day. We were mending the fence between Frearsons and my place in the morning and Ernest was digging below the house in the afternoon. I packed the Eggs and hauled them down to the Steamer.
George Wyatt and Jim Dunning were here in the evening and had a game of cards.
Wednesday 29th It was a fine day. We finished mending the fence between Frearsons and our place in the morning and then we commenced to mend the fence between Mathesons paddock and our place, we finished this in the afternoon and afterward did some digging in the garden. Mr J. C. Wyatt was here for dinner.
Thursday 30th It was a very fine day. We got all the Sheep up in the morning and Charlie Wyatt came to shear, Ernest was opening out and I was wrapping up the fleeces. They did not commence until 10 am so they only sheared 45 by evening. The orchestra had a rehearsal in the Hall in the evening, I went down.
Memo’
The Fowls laid 757 Eggs during the month of November
= to 63 Doz & 1 Valued at £1 . 10 . 5