Friday 1st John was hauling junk with Charlie down the hill. I was digging out holes in the orchard for trees and burning heaps on the ploughed ground. We got up the Sheep in the evening.
Saturday 2nd We killed a sheep in the morning for our own use, also killed the old Ram we got from Mr Came, we skinned it and buried the carcase in the manure heap. Willie came home in the morning. There was a cricket match at the Maori Hall between Omaha & Dacre’s Claim clubs. Omaha won. I went to the cricket match and after I went up to Mr Birdsalls and staid all night.
Sunday 3rd Mr Birdsalls & I started at 7 am for Kaipara Flats which is 15 miles the other side of Warkworth, we arrived at the Church half an hour before service, Mr Clements the Lay Reader read service. It is a nice little Church. We went home with Mr & Mrs Sainsbury, we had dinner and tea there and had a good look round his farm. He has got a very nice place about 50 acres perfectly level. We left there about 6 pm and did not get home till 11.30 pm.
John returned to the flat this evening.
Monday 4th Willie returned to his work at Pakiri early in the morning, he walked. I was making Cases all day and Henry was packing Apples.
Tuesday 5th Willies 9th birthday. We all went down to Mr Wyatts for tea. I was making Cases and packing Apples all day and Henry hauled them down to the Wharf. The Steamer has resumed her winter timetable and came in this evening. The Fruit that we sent away was as follows and according to our weight.
7 Cases Canadian Reinette 440 lbs
13 Cases Golden Russets 780 lbs
1 Case Boston Russets 54 lbs
1 Case Pears ( Marachal Court) 68 lbs
1342 lbs
I met Mr G. Knaggs at the Hall in the evening and we went over the Road Board books together. I found them correct and signed them as Treasurer.
Wednesday 6th Henry hauled goods for Harper in the morning.
I was picking Apples. In the afternoon we set fire to the Ti Tree and we had a splendid burn.
Thursday 7th We were logging up and setting fire to the ti tree inside the fence.
Friday 8th We were picking Fruit all day . Willie came home in the evening as there is a cricket match at Warkworth tomorrow.
Saturday 9th We went up to Mr Neeleys in the morning to see if there were any of our sheep in his place but there were none. Willie went to Warkworth to play in a cricket match, Omaha against Warkworth. Omaha won with 7 wickets to go down.
The Annual Meeting of Subscribers to the Show was held in the Hall in the evening. They voted me £3 for my services as Secretary last year. It was decided to have only t persons on the Committee this year and they were elected as follows.
Messrs W. Greenwood
Joseph Greenwood
J. B. Birdsall
H. Brown
A. Matheson
J. C. Wyatt
C. S. Clarke
The election of offices was deferred to a full meeting of the Committee.
John returned from the Flat in the afternoon and he, Henry & Robert Wyatt went fishing in a boat to the Maori Point, they brought home two scnappers.
Sunday 10th Maud & Willie went up to Pratts in the morning, Maud is going to stay up there a few days. I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there were not many present. John returned to the Flat in the afternoon.
Monday 11th It was a very dull day and threatened very much for rain. I made some Cases and we packed the following Fruit.
2 Cases Sturmer Pippin
1 ditto Quinces
1 ditto Beurre Diel Pears
We also packed 1 Bundle of 14 Sheep Skins & Pelts.
Henry hauled these down to the Wharf with the young steers in the afternoon.
I pulled up 2 rows of pea sticks and stored them under the house.
The Fruit we sent away weighed as follows.
2 Cases Sturmer Pippin 119lbs
1 Case Quinces 61 lbs
The Case of Pears we did not weigh
Tuesday 12th I pulled up the remainder of the pea sticks and some of the bean sticks and stored them under the house.
In the afternoon I rode to Pakiri, there was a cricket match in
H. Dyer’s paddock between Omaha & Te Arai & Mangawai. Omaha beat by a good many runs.
The New Hall was opened in the evening by a public tea & concert and dance, there must have been 200 present, it was a great success. I got home about 3 oclock next morning.
Wednesday 13th It was showery all day. We employed ourselves in husking all the Maize and shelling beans. It rained heavier towards evening.
Thursday 14th It did not rain today, but it was very dull. We mended up the fence on the hill.
Friday 15th Henry & I were mending up the fence near the far slip rails. Willie and Maud returned home at dinner time, also John from the flat. It was showery in the afternoon. I sowed some Manchester Defiance Cabbage Seed in a box near the closet.
Saturday 16th Willie & the boys went to Matakana, there was a cricket match between an Auckland club and Omaha club. Auckland beat by a good many runs. I did odd jobs about.
Sunday 17th Easter day. I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a good congregation. Henry went to the gum flat.
Monday 18th As Ellis Dyer is away in Auckland Willie went up home to saw with his brother Tom. John hauled a Sack of Oates and a Sack of Bone Dust up from the Wharf. We cleaned out the Fowl House and lime washed it. The heifer Blossom calved a heifer Calf, we are going to call it Esmond.
Tuesday 19th It was a fine day. John & I were mending up the fence. Charlie Pratt, who was hauling Fruit for Wrights, came up here for dinner and Miss Pratt & Mr Raynor came for tea and then went down to the Steamer with us.
Wednesday 20th It was a fine day. We commenced digging under the dining room window and planting Strawberries in rows 2 ft apart and 1 ft between the plants.
Thursday 21st We continued planting Strawberries.
Friday 22nd We finished planting Strawberries. John thrashed grass seed in the afternoon. I commenced to dig the top side of the house.
Saturday 23rd John continued thrashing grass seed. I continued digging the top side of the house. Willie & Henry returned home in the evening.
Sunday 24th It was a fine day though threatening very much for rain. I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there were about 35 present. One of Willies Cows (Nora) calved in the afternoon a heifer calf.
Monday 25th Willie returned to his work with Ellis Dyer at Pakiri this morning and Henry returned to the gum flat. John finished thrashing the grass seed in the morning and I finished digging the ground the top side of the house. In the afternoon we dug Kumeras, they turned out very well.
The Annual Meeting of Householders took place in the School at 4 oclock. The following persons were elected the new Committee, Messrs John Wyatt, Joseph Wyatt, William Neeley, T. W. Knaggs, G. Ashton, J. S. Hardwick and G. H. Sadler.
Tuesday 26th We commenced to sow grass seed in the Barley Paddock in the morning. We are putting on principally Cocksfoot with a little Rye Grass. It rained in the afternoon and we did not work out of doors. Mr Lane came up by the Steamer and staid here all night.
Wednesday 27th Mr Lane returned home on his horse which has remained here during his absence in Auckland. John hauled some goods from the Wharf that we had up. We continued sowing grass seed.
We heard this evening that Mrs Britton of Dacre’s Claim died very suddenly, it is supposed of heart desease.
Thursday 28th The wind is blowing very cold and as I have a sore throat I did not go out of doors to work, but we cleared the store out and sieved the grass seed. Miss Rogers & Miss Savage came to see Maud and staid for tea.
Friday 29th We were sowing grass seed in the barley paddock.
Sarah Greenwood came to see Maud in the afternoon, but Maud was not at home.
Saturday 30th John & I were sowing grass seed in the barley paddock in the morning. In the afternoon I rode over on Henry‘s horse to Pakiri. I went to Mr H. Browns who showed me his Sheep Dip. The dip is 22 inches wide at top and 9 inches at bottom. It is 5 feet deep for about 4 ft when it slope up for the sheep to walk out, the extreme length is 14 ft, the walls and floor are 6 inches thick made of pebbles, sand and hydraulic lime plastered over about 1/2 inch thick with cement. The dripping floor is about 12 ft square and will be divided into two pens so that the sheep in one pen can be draining while the other is being filled. The material used were 5 Sacks Hydraulic Lime and 3 Sacks Cement from the works of Messrs J. Wilson & Co of Mahurangi.
I called at Mr J. Harpers and looked at their flower garden and pigs.
When I reached home Henry had returned from the flat, but Willie did not return home until late as he could not find his horse and had to walk over from Pakiri.