October 1909

Friday 1st   It was a showery day.  Willie headed back the 4 Hales Early Peach in the garden ready for re-grafting.
Mr & Mrs Ab Wyatt were her dinner.  In the evening I went down for the mail & attended the Library.  There was a meeting of the Hall Committee.

Saturday 2nd   It was a fine day, wind round to the S, ground very wet.  Willie re-grafted 3 of the Hales Early Peach stocks with Grand Duke plum,  also re-grafted one of the Late Scarlet Apple trees with Emperor Alexander.
I was doing odd jobs.

Sunday 3rd   It was a fine day.  Willie & I walked over to Ti Point in the morning to spend the day.  I called in to D. Knaggs to have a look round their garden and then went on to Joes where I had dinner.  George & Jack Knightly were also there for dinner,  Willie had dinner at D. Knaggs.
We all went to the sand-spit in the pm.

Monday 4th   It was fine, but very dull in the afternoon, threatening for rain.  Wind strong from NW.  After breakfast Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up a  Sk  of B & B manure & empty Egg Box.  He posted for me a letter I had written to Jack, also sent Jack some Apple Grafts.   When he came back we sowed 2 rows Stratagem Peas & 1 row (18)  Cabbages after which Willie was digging in the orchard,  I was working in the flower garden.

Tuesday 5th   After breakfast Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up the last sack of B & B manure.  He wet down again with the box of Eggs and hauled up a box of Groceries , empty Egg Box & Wool pack.  While he was down there it rained heavily.  In the afternoon Willie was digging in the orchard, I was working in the flower garden.

Wednesday 6th   It was a fine day, only a few slight showers, wind from SW and the ground is drying up, the weather seems more settled.
In the morning I was helping Willie dig in this orchard.  In the afternoon I went down to the village to get the meat.  After I came back I planted the following plants in the flower garden,
1 Penstemon,   2  Calceolaria,  1  Candituft.

Thursday 7th   It was a fine day, wind SW.  In the morning I was digging in the orchard with Willie.  In the pm I was working in the flower garden.

Friday 8th   It was a fine day, wind from SW.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up a bag of sand.  The remainder of the morning I was helping Willie dig in the orchard.  In the pm I was working in the flower garden.  Jane went down to John Wyatts to spend the pm and was going for the mail and attend the Library in the evening.

Saturday 9th   It was a beautiful day.  Wind still SW, there was a shower of rain first thing in the morning , also one in the early pm, but they only freshened things up.  After breakfast I got a supply of firewood, the remainder of the morning I was digging with Willie in the orchard.  In the afternoon I dug up the round bed and I planted some Candytuft plants in the diamond bed that Jane brought from John Wyatts.

Sunday 10th   It was a beautiful day.  In the mornng I rode up to Mr John Greenwoods to spend the day , I had dinner and tea there, unfortunately John was away at Pakiri attending morning service conducted by Burton Witten and he did not return home until 4 pm.

Monday 11th   It was a beautiful day.  In the morning I was digging with Willie in the orchard , 9 trees were dug round today.  In the afternoon I was working in the flower garden.

Tuesday 12th   It was a fine day, but not much sun.   In the morning I was digging with Willie in this orchard.  In the afternoon I took the box of Eggs down to the wharf with the horse, I sifted a lot of black soil at Dunnings creek and hauled it home.

Wednesday 13th   There was a nice rain last night which has freshened things up, and the lumps in the flower garden break down easily.
In the morning I was digging with Willie in this orchard.   In the pm I was working in the flower garden sowing seeds,  I sowed the following,  Sweet Sultan,  Phlox,  Af Marigold,  Bride Centauria,  Bride Groom Centauria.
Jane went to Joe Wyatts & called at Harpers for the meat.

Thursday 14th   It was a fine day.   In the morning I was digging with Willie in this orchard.  In the pm I was working in the flower garden.
I sowed Bridesmaid & Hoeymoon  Centauria & Cosmea Seeds, also transplanted some Sweet Peas.
I went down to the village to get the mail, carried up a bag of sand.
James Ashton came to register the death of Mr Hadwick which occurred last night.  I went to spend the evening with Arch Dunnings, Mr & Mrs Franklin were also there.

Friday 15th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was digging with Willie in this orchard.   Willie finished digging at the orchard gate in the evening.  In the afternoon I rode to Whangateau Cenetery where Mr Hadwick was buried at 3 pm,  I read the service.

Saturday 16th   When we got up in the morning it was very dull, & a misty rain was falling, but it cleared up and there was every indication of a fine day.  There was to be a cricket match at the Claim (the first of the season) between Mangawai and Omaha,  Jane rode and Willie walked over,  I staid at home and worked in my garden, I planted some Gladiolus bulbs that Mrs Handby gave me , also planted out 2 Red Salvias and another plant that I got from Joe Greenwood, there were several misty showers in the morning and at 2 pm it set in a steady rain which lasted 1½ hours.  When it cleared up I went down to meet the steamer and to get the mail, carried up a bag of sand.  There were some showers in the evening.  Jane returned home at night, but Willie went to Ti Point and staid the night.

Sunday 17th   It rained steadily nearly all day.   Revd McSporran held service in the Hall in the morning there were only 20 present , we did not go.  Willie returned from Ti Point in the afternoon during a lull in the weather.

Monday 18th   It was showery all morning, the wind changed to SW in the pm and it cleared up.  In the morning Willie went down to the village to post some letters & he carried up the empty egg box.   I was doing odd jobs.

Tuesday 19th   It was a fine day, but the ground is very wet after all the rain we had yesterday & Sunday.  In the morning Willie & I commenced to dig the piece of ground above the wire netting where the Diamond Plums are planted.  In the afternoon I planted 24 Blue Lobelia plants in the round bed, afterwards rode down to the Village to get the mail, but heard the Steamer was not to leave Auckland until midnight tonight.

Wednesday 20th   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie & I were digging round the Diamond plums in the garden.  Willie took the Eggs down to the wharf  & hauled up empty egg box , some grit & sand.  In the afternoon I sowed 18 seeds of Dwarf Nasturtiums in the round bed, went down to get the meat & carried up a bag of sand.

Thursday 21st   The wind is blowing strong from N & NW.  In the morning Willie & I went over to the farm orchard to hoe the Potatoes which are looking very well, after hoeing a few rows it came on to rain so had to come home, in the pm it was finer.  I plunged the Dahlia roots in two tubs to shoot.  Also planted out 12 Pansy plants and 1 Penstemon.

Friday 22nd   There were some heavy showers during the day .  In the morning Willie went to help Ab kill his two Maori pigs, he brought home the two heads which we cleaned for making brawn.
I planted out behind the closet about 30 Stock plants.  Went down to the mail and Library in the evening.

Saturday 23rd   It was very fine in the morning and Willie prepared some arsenate of lead to spray the trees, but it came on to rain and so he did not start.  I was doing a little in the flower garden.  In the pm Willie helped Ab cut up his pigs.

Sunday 24th   It was showery in the morning and early pm when the wind changed to the SW.   Revd Jory held service in the pm. I went, afterwards went to Joe Wyatts

Monday 25th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was helping Willie spray the Jargonell & Beurre Clairgeau Pear trees with arsenate of lead.  Hettie Wyatt was here for dinner.  I gave her some little plants & cuttings of flowers.  I planted 2 Guillardia plants and made a frame for Sweet Peas to climb up.

Tuesday 26th   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie was hoeing and earthing up the Potatoes in the farm orchard & finished them in the pm.  He then took the Eggs down to the Steamer & hauled up 100 lbs Flour, 1 Bag Sugar, do Lime & empty Egg Box.
In the morning I was cutting sticks and I stuck the rows of Peas in the farm orchard .  In the pm I was working in the flower garden.  I pricked out in a shallow box over 30 Phlox plants also planted 5 Phlox in the diamond bed, planted out Sweet Peas & 1 Marigold.
Willie set 2 Hens with 26 White Leghorn Eggs from W. Frearson.

Wednesday 27th   It was a fine day, wind from SW.  In the morning Willie was loosening & hoeing up the Potatoes the top side of the house.  I was loosening round the Peas.
Mrs C. Gravatt called.
In the pm Willie went to get the meat and he got some Cabbage plants from A. Dunnings which he planted.
I planted 8 Nemesia plants in the diamond bed which came by post yesterday, afterwards I went down to the beach for a bag of sand,
Mabel was spending the pm here.

Thursday 28th   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie went to the wharf to get an extension rod  that came by the “Kawau” this morning , after that he was planting Cabbages the top side of the house the remainder of A. D’s and some of our own.  I stuck the two rows of Peas the top side of house.
In the afternoon I dug the flower bed under the spare bedroom window.

Friday 29th   It was a fine day.I was digging between the 2 rows of Peas the top side of the house & also helping Willie dig the piece of ground between the cabbages & the path.  I was burning clay and dug the flower bed from the front gate downwards.  In the evening I went down for the mail & Library.

Saturday 30th   It was fine in the morning.  Willie & I went over to the farm orchard and we planted 22 hills of Pumpkins and 1 hill of Pie Melon.  In the pm it came on a misty rain afterwards rained steadily.
Mrs Carr our school teacher who has been absent on a visit to Scotland was to return by the “Kawau” this evening and the Bible Class were going to give her a welcome in the Hall this evening, we were invited, but on account of the weather none of us went, but it was postponed.

Sunday 31st   There were a few showers, but otherwise it was a very fine day.  In the afternoon I went up to Mr Handbys where I staid tea.