April 1922

Saturday 1st   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post my Bank book to have the interest added.  I then went down to the beach and carried two bags of sand and put them into the wharf shed, then I went up to the garden in the pm.
I sowed Onion seed, planted two clumps of Scarborough Lily (Vallotta).  Jim finished ploughing the paddock in the front.
There was a dance in the evening in the Hall in aid of the Tennis & Hockey Clubs.

Sunday 2nd    It was a very fine day.  I attended the Presbyterian service in the morning.  Called at Mr Hewitts in the afternoon.

Monday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  Jim was harrowing in the front. Eddie & Ab were cutting tea tree on the farm, I was up at the garden. I dug up the border near the front gate, also the border next the pigs paddock.  Planted a Canterbury Bell and 3 clumps of Paper White Narcissus.

Tuesday 4th   It was a very fine day.  Eddie & Ab were cutting tea tree on the farm.  Jim went to the Little Barrier in the scow Jane Gifford to bring some cattle across here that Ringi Brown had bought of Mr Nelson the caretaker.   I went up to the garden and about 11 am I went down to the village to get the mail, but found it was not expected to arrive until 1 pm so I went down to the beach and carried some sand across to the wharf.  I then returned here for lunch, there was only Miss Pemberton present.  I went up to the garden in the pm & planted the three cornered bed near the summer house, I planted Eschevera round the edges, clumps of Anemone & Renumculus, 1 Thalictouna, 1 Canterbury Bell.  I went down to the village after lunch and got the mail.
Mr F. W. Grigg gave a social this evening in the Claim Hall to celebrate the marriage of his daughter with Neil Neeley.  Jim & and Miss Pemberton went.

Wednesday 5th   It was a very fine day.  Eddie was carting lime up from the wharf in the morning & Jim was drilling it in,  in the front where Oats grew before, Eddie brought up 2 bags of sand for me & I sieved it and put it into a box in the summer house.  I was weeding and cleaning up, dug up the cabbage bed and the strip near the front gate.

Thursday 6th   It was a very fine day.  I drew out a Will for Eddie and after breakfast he signed it & Jim & I signed it as witnesses.  Jim was drilling grass seed for A. Matheson.  Eddie went to Auckland per “Kawau” to day.  Alma Wallace & Mrs Simpson also went by same boat.  I was working up at the garden .  I commenced to plant Daffodils, I planted 10 clumps.  I took up some Canterbury bells, Thalictrums & stocks & packed them in a box to take to Mr Shepherd tomorrow.  Mr & Mrs Stewart came late in the afternoon and I gave them some plants for School garden.

Friday 7th   It was a very fine day.  I went to Warkworth in the mail cart with C. Gravatt.  I was going on a visit to Mr A. J. Shepherd the Head Teacher there.  I took him some plants of Canterbury Bells,
2 Thalictrums,  Stocks,  bulbs of Dwarf Pink Gladiolus & a bunch of Dahlias.  I had dinner there, and as Mr Shepherd had to teach school in the afternoon, I went into the township, took a pair of boots to be mended, met the steamer which proved to be the “Kawau“, called at the Library and had a chat with Mr Moore the Librarian, called at Revd Richards.   After Mr S. came from school he showed me round his garden,  Mr W. Hamilton & Mr Moore came for tea, but had to go to a meeting at the A. & P. society.  Mr Shepherd brought out all his boxes of Daffodils & put up packets of several varieties for me.
I staid there the night.

Saturday 8th   Heavy dew last night, misty this morning, wind NE, looks like rain.  Mr Shepherd got me some cuttings & plants and packed them up with the bulbs.  Revd Richards who was driving to Pakiri gave me a lift home in his sulky, we called in at Janes and had dinner there.  Arrived home here about 2.30 pm, having enjoyed my outing very much, the Shepherds are very nice people and were very kind.  After I got home I went up to the garden and planted the things Mr Shepherd gave me.  There was a dance in the Hall in the evening, Jim & Miss Pemberton went, I was too tired to go.

Sunday 9th   It was fine in the morning, but it set in a steady rain in the afternoon.  In the morning I went up to the garden and brought some Dahlias down for Ivy.  In the afternoon I attended the Methodist service,  Revd Richards preached an excellent sermon.

Monday 10th   It was a very fine day.  Charlie & Jim were sawing box timber.  I got 3 tea tree sticks & sawed them up into kerbing and sharpened them and fixed some of them.
Eddie returned from Auckland per “Kawau“.

Tuesday 11th   It was fine in the morning, there was a shower at noon which continued for a while, but cleared up later on, I went up to the garden in the morning, cut the grass on the path leading to the front gate, and fixing up the kerbing, and commenced to plant the Daffodils that Mr Shepherd gave me, also went up again in the afternoon when it cleared up.  Jim harrowed in the morning and made cases.  Eddie and Ab were cutting tea tree.  I wrote to Willie & posted it before tea.

Wednesday 12th   It was a very fine day.  I finished planting the Daffodils that Mr Shepherd gave me and then continued planting my own.  The “Kawau” left town at midnight and left here at 8.30 this morning,  Jim carted some Lemons down to go by her.  Eddie was cutting tea tree on the farm, he went to Matakana in the evening to catch a steamer for Auckland.  Jessie went with him to bring the horses home.
There was a cricket social in the hall in the evening, Jim & Miss Pemberton went.

Thursday 13th   There was no rain, but it was a dull day.  I had an early breakfast and went up to the garden,  I was planting Daffodils all day.

Friday 14th   Good Friday.  A very disappointing day .  In the morning it was fine, but no sun, about 11.30 am there was a shower, but it cleared again about 1 pm and at 3 pm it came on raining again and it rained steadily until 4.30.  I took my lunch up to the garden as they were all away.  Between the showers I finished planting Daffodils in the diamond bed.  While it was raining I was shelling beans.  There was a tennis match at Pakiri between the local club and Leigh.  Charlie, Jessie, Jim & Miss Pemberton went over, the weather prevented the match being finished, the two latter stayed for the dance.  I went down for the mail, got my boots repaired from Warkworth.  Received the Seeds I ordered from Pilkington.

Saturday 15th   It poured with rain last night, but it was very fine to day,  wind from SW blowing strong,  I went up to the garden, but could not do anything on the ground, cleared up things lying about.
Packed 12 Varieties of Daffodils for Gordon  Wallace.  Took flowers to the Church in the pm, dug over the step near the Church gate.

Sunday 16th   Easter Sunday   A very fine day.  I conducted service in the Church in the afternoon.  There were 30 present.  Collection 16/8.  After service Mr & Mrs Stewart & Mr McCoughlar came up to see my garden.

Monday 17th   Easter Monday.  A general holiday.   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the wharf & Mr Gozar took Mr Stewart & me in his boat to a beach below the Maori cemetery & we got sand for our garden and brought it to the wharf.  Afterwards I went up to the garden, I took my lunch so I had a long day for work.
I planted several clumps of Bride Gladiolus, Dwarf Pink Gladiolus, Sparaxis & Blue Bell.  I went to tea to Mr Stewarts & we played 500 in the evening.  There was a Tennis Tournament on these courts & a dance at night.

Tuesday 18th   It was a fine day.  Eddie returned from Auckland per “Kawau” early this morning.  After breakfast I went down for the mail, sent a parcel of Daffodil bulbs to Gordon Wallace.  I sowed a row of Sweet Peas near gate.  Miss Pemberton left by the “Kawau” for Auckland this afternoon, Jim drove her down to the wharf & he brought my sand up to the gate,

Wednesday 19th   It was fine in the morning, but showery in the afternoon.  I sowed seeds of Cauliflower,  Enfield Market Cabbage  & Pilkingtons Early Cabbage.  Went down to meet the steamer in the afternoon.  Jim harrowing & Eddie was cutting tea tree.

Thursday 20th   It was a very fine day.  Mrs Hewitt came to see my garden in the morning, she was very pleased with it and said it was the finest garden she had seen since she left England.  In the afternoon I planted Snowflakes in one of the 3 cornered beds.
In the morning Eddie & Ab Wyatt were cutting tea tree, Jim was harrowing.  In the afternoon they cut chaff,  Oats and Vetches.

Friday 21st    It was blowing strong, fine day.  I sowed the remainder of the bed of Onions.  Planted a clump of Bride Gladious.  Wyatts finished cutting the Oats & Vetches chaf just in time as it came on to rain.
The monument to Kiri Brown erected in the Maori Cemetery was unveiled to day, a lot of Maoris had arrived for the occasion, only a few invitation to the settlers were sent, I got an invitation, but did not go.

Saturday 22nd   It was a fine day with the exception of a few showers.  In the morning I went down to the village, changed my books at the Library, took £10 out of the P.O Savings Bank,  called at Mr Gozars.  In the afternoon I took some flowers &c up to Mr Griggs. Eddie & Jim went to Hockey at the Claim.

Sunday 23rd   It was a fine day with the exception of a few showers, but windy.  There was a Church parade of the Territorials in the Hall at 2.30.  Revd Richards conducted the service.  There was a good attendance and Mr Richards gave a very interesting & instructive sermon on Anzac Day.

Monday 24th   It was a fine day.  I went up to the garden morning & afternoon.  I was digging & manuring a strip near the fence to plant onions for seed, also weeding & digging between the silver & red beet.  Angus Dunning‘s baby girl who died last Saturday at Warkworth Hospital where Dolly was confined was buried in this cemetery this afternoon,  I read the funeral service at the grave.

Tuesday 25th   Anzac Day.  A very showery day.  I went up to the garden & planted 9 onions for seed, went up again in the pm, but came on so wet that I could not plant so I cut open some kerosene tins & fixed handles to them.  Charlie & the boys were cutting box timber.

Wednesday 26th   It was a very fine day.  I planted out 3 more Onions for seed. this makes 12 Onions planted out for seed.  I made 2 shallow boxes to sow flower seed in, in one box I sowed Pansy seed, and in the other I sowed Geum,  Azure Fairy & Canterbury Bell. Charlie was sharpening the circular saw and the boys were cutting box timber.

Thursday 27th   It was a very fine day.  I was packing a box for Mr Shepherd with vegetable seeds & over 100 plants of Eschevera.  Dug up part of an onion bed, took a bunch of flowers to Mrs Harper, went down to the beach and carried some sand over to the wharf & Eddie carted it up when he was coming up from taking Lemons to the wharf.  Jim drilled grass seed in the paddock that was in Oats & Vetches.

Friday 28th   It was a fine day.  I sent a box of seeds & plants to Mr Shepherd & a  p of boots to Azzys to be repaired, carried up 3 loads of manure to the garden, also the sand that Eddie carted up for me. Finished digging the Onion bed, re sowed Cauliflower & Cabbage, went for the mail in the evening.

Saturday 29th   It was a fine day, wind E.  I sowed a bed of Onions, planted out 17 Cabbage plants .  The boys practiced hockey at the Claim.

Sunday 30th   It was a very fine day although the wind is blowing strong from E.   A Mr Snowball came with Revd Poole and the former conducted the service and gave an excellent address.  There was a large congregation.  Jane, Jim & the children drove over in my sulky, Jim having bought a quiet horse .  All of them came up to have a look at my garden & they  [had]  tea here.