November 1909

Monday 1st   It was fine in the morning.   Willie set a Hen in the pine tree with 13 Eggs  W. F.   I took the letters down to the post, afterwards went to the beach and sieved some black soil also some sand.  In the pm I sowed 4 short rows of Lettuce near the closet & dug in the flower garden.
There was a heavy shower of rain.
Jane went to Joe Wyatts, from there went down to the Hall in the evening with Mabel to the welcome tendered to Mrs Carr.  I also went down & took some flowers.

Tuesday 2nd   It rained steadily nearly all day.  Were not able to do anything outside.  Willie went down to the Steamer in the pm to get the mail.

Wednesday 3rd   It rained steadily all morning, the latter part of the pm it cleared up, wind changed to SW.  Willie took the Eggs down to the Steamer and hauled up a pig which he got from Edgar Meiklejohn.  I went down to post some letters and to get the meat.

Thursday 4th   It was fine in the morning, but there were some showers in the afternoon.  Willie found that the pig had got out during the night and he found it down at John Wyatts .  Willie was digging round the newly planted trees in this orchard.  May and Dora Greenwood came to look at my garden and staid for dinner.

Friday 5th   It was a fine day, wind from SW.  In the morning I went down to the village to post letters afterwards went the beach, carried some sifted soil and put it into the wharf shed , carried home some sand.  The remainder of the morning I was helping Willie dig in this orchard.  May Dunning was here for dinner, after [sic: afterwards]  she & Jane went down to the Hall for a meeting to arrange about a Xmas [sic: Xmas tree], Jane was going to look after the Library for me , and there was going to be the Annual Tennis meeting .  In the afternoon I was working in the flower garden, I planted 2 Miniature Sunflower plants.

Saturday 6th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was helping Willie dig, we finished digging in this orchard against the lower Coes Late Red.  In the afternoon Willie was spraying the Beurre Diel Pears.  I was working in the flower garden digging out bulbs.

Sunday 7th   It was a fine day although there were a few showers in the afternoon & evening.  Minnie and Alma were here for dinner, we all went down to the Hall in the afternoon , Revd K. Teale conducted service, there were about 60 present, collection 16/- .   Mrs H. Torkington came up here for tea.  Alma staid all night.

Monday 8th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I took the horse down to the beach and hauled up some black soil, sand & fowl grit.  Willie sprayed with asenante [sic:  arsenate]  of lead the Jargonel & Beurre  Cloirgeau the second time& the Vicars the 1st time.

Tuesday 9th   The King’s birthday, also Henry’s birthday.
It was a fine day.  In the morning I was helping Willie spray with arsenate of lead the Beurre Diel Pear trees in the farm orchard.  Mrs Gravatt & children came to have a look at the garden.  In the pm Maggie Wyatt came & staid tea.  Mr W. King, Traveller for T. Clark, Bootmaker of Ponsonby came here and staid all night, he went with Jane & Willie down to the Hall to a social to get funds to buy toys for the Xmas tree.  There were not many present & only 26/- was taken.

Wednesday 10th   It was a fine day, wind from SW, ground drying up.  Mr King left after breakfast.  I was not feeling very well and was lying down most of the morning.  Willie planted out some Onions the top side of the house.  In the pm he took the box of Eggs down to the wharf and hauled up to the lower gate 8,  6 in second hand socket pipes that I bought of the County Council.   I was doing a little in the flower garden in the pm, planted 5 Phlox & 1 Aster.

Thursday 11th   It was a very fine day.   In the morning Willie was planting Onions, I planted 8 Tomato plants near the front gate, and we also planted 1 row of Dun Beans.  Afterwards Willie was mending up the pen for shearing & he sprayed some of the Potatoes for blight.

Friday 12th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I took some letters down to the mail.  Afterwards I was clearing out the shed for shearing,  Willie was fixing up the pen, afterwards he sprayed the 2nd time the Beurre Clairgeau.  In the evening I went down to mail & Library.

Saturday 13th   It was a fine day.  Willie got Willie & Jimmy Haskell to help him to drive up the sheep from the farm, in the afternoon we tailed & altered the Lambs, they were 7 wethers, 5 Ewes,  Total 12.
Afterwards Willie & Jimmy went on to the farm and caught & sheared 4 Sheep that were left out.
I picked a lot of citrus for Jane to take to town, afterwards worked in the flower garden, I planted a Cresanthemum near the front gate.

Sunday 14th   It was a fine day, ‘tho rather dull towards the evening.
Revd Wilson (Presbyterian)  (who is taking Revd Entrican’s place who is away through ill health) held service in the Hall in the morning .  I was the only one from this house who attended, he is a very good preacher.  In the afternoon I rode up to Wilson Knaggs on the hill and staid tea.  He has done a lot of work on the place in stumping and ploughing.

Monday 15th   It was a fine day.  In the morning we got the Sheep in and Gus Neely came to shear them which he finished about 5 pm.
I took Janes luggage down to the wharf with the horse and hauled up an empty egg box & a box of sand.  Jane went to Auckland in the “Kawau” which called in here about 11 am.  Willie sheard 3 sheep that were left out on the farm in the pm.  We killed a sheep in the evening.  It commenced to rain.

Tuesday 16th   It threatened to rain, but we did not get any until the pm.  After breakfast Willie took the mutton out then we packed the 1 Bale of Wool and Willie took it down to the wharf in the pm & he hauled up some sand for me.  I staid down until the Steamer arrived and got the mail.

Wednesday 17th   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie took the box of eggs down to the wharf and hauled up a case of kerosene & empty egg box.  The Inspector of Noxious Weeds called this morning,  so in the pm Willie cut the blackberries at our lower gate.  Afterwards we sprayed with arsenate of lead  2 Beurre Bose, the Golden Russett and 2 Red Warrior.  Mrs Hadwick & Lizzie McDevitt called in the pm.

Thursday 18th   It rained nearly all morning and once very heavily, it has softened the lumps nicely in the flower garden, in the pm I chopped it up and raked it down, I planted 5 Verbena plants, 1 Aster & 1 Lobelia.

Friday 19th   In the morning Willie took the horse down to the wharf  thinking that fruit cases or fowl feed might have come, but there was nothing there, so he brought up some fowl grit.  It rained the remainder of the day.
It cleared up in the evening, but the wind blew very strong from NW.
I went down to the Library & Mail.  There should have been a meeting of the Farmers Association, but on account of the weather it did not come off.

Saturday 20th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I cut all the grass on the paths in the flower garden,   in the pm I resowed the Tom Thumb Nasturtiums in the round bed, also planted 10 Scabious in same bed & 1 Veibena in Diamond bed.
Willie planted out a quantity of Tomato plants between the young Diamond Plums & sprayed the Bon Chretien & Greenwoods Pear.

Sunday 21st   Rain fell during the night & it rained heavily early this morning, but it turned out a fine day.  Willie & I went to Ti Point to spend the day, Willie rode there & I rode back,  W.  had dinner at Harolds  & I, at D. Knaggs,  had a look at the flower garden & at Duncans new yacht.  Afterwards went to Joes where I found Willie, we had tea there and arrived home at 7.30 pm.

Monday 22nd   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie planted 2 rows of Dun Beans between the Diamond Plums,  in the pm he sprayed the Jargonell & Beurre Clairgeau, 3rd time,  Beurre Diel & Vicars, 2nd time,  Kentucky & Late Scarlet 1st time.
In the morning I went down to the village to post some letters, went across to John Wyatts to take them some flower cuttings, carried home  bag of sand,  in the pm I planted 3 Crasanthemums, 1 White Begonia, & 2 Dahlias.  Dan Kempt came to get me to sign a subpena for a witness.  Sowed a row of Tall Nasturtiums.

Tuesday 23rd   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie got Ronie in from the farm , she has calved a Heifer Calf.  In the pm I planted 2 Dahlias.  Afterwards went down to the Steamer, carried up some sand.  Willie sprayed 1st time Ohinemmuri & Lord Wollesley Apples, he took the box of Eggs down to the wharf & hauled up a Sack of Maize.  Went down again in the evening & hauled up a Sack of Sharps.

Wednesday 24th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was helping Willie dig between the Pumpkins in the farm orchard.  In the pm I was working in the flower garden.  In the evening Willie & I went to the Annual Bible Class Picnic Concert in the Hall.  I took some flowers.

Thursday 25th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was helping Willie plant Kumeras between the Diamond Plum trees, we put in 79 plants.  In the pm Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up a Sack of Bran.
Mrs James & Bert Greenwood called in the afternoon.

Friday 26th   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie went down to the wharf to meet the “Kawau“, he cleared the end of the wharf of Cases so that he could get his cases next trip.  In the pm he sprayed the Beurre Capiamont, Stewarts Seedling & Irish Peach.  I was working in the flower garden, it was intensely hot in the pm.  In the evening I went down for the mail & Library.

Saturday 27th   It was a fine day.  In the morning Willie was baking bread.  In the pm he finished digging round the pumpkins in the farm orchard .  I was working in the flower garden.  The Moon was eclipsed in the evening.

Sunday 28th   It was a fine day.   In the morning I walked to Ti Point, had dinner at Joes, in the pm called on Mrs Lloyd,  Mr & Mrs D. Knaggs took me in a boat up to Mr Waldens, looked round his garden, had tea there, walked home by moonlight.

Monday 29th   A very hot day.  In the morning Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up 80 Fruit Cases inside our bottom gate and some up to the shed.  In the pm I went over to the Pa with Mrs Harper to witness an agreement between 2 Austrians and the Maoris.

Tuesday 30th   A very hot day.  Willie was picking up bones & wool which he hauled down to the wharf in the pm.  Jane returned from Auckland by the “Kawau“.  Willie and I were down to meet her.