Wednesday 1st It was a fine day. We planted 2 Plum Trees (Autumn Compote), finished planting all the Early Rose Potatoes. Sowed some White Stone Turnips in drills about 16 inches apart, in the ground that was in Strawberries last year, we dug bone dust into the ground besides sprinkling bone flour & ashes in the drills.
Mr & Mrs Walter came for tea and spent the evening.
Thursday 2nd It rained last night and the greater part of to day. It is the most rain we have had this winter. We were unable to do anything out of doors. I made Fruit Cases in the work shop.
Friday 3rd We had no rain to day, but the ground is very wet, we cut tea tree in the morning and the boys did in the afternoon, I pruned trees in the afternoon.
Saw to day for the first time one of our Sheep with a Lamb. It appears to be about a week old.
Saturday 4th We excavated the road at the Stockyard, in the morning. In the afternoon I went down to the beach and put the heap of sea weed together.
Sunday 5th There was a lot of rain last night and it was very showery to day. There was no service.
Monday 6th Fine day with the exception of a heavy shower about noon. We were digging at the bottom of the orchard.
Tuesday 7th It was a fine day with the exception of one slight shower in the middle of the day.
We were digging at the bottom of the orchard.
Mr Pratt came in the afternoon, staid for tea, and then went down to the Steamer.
Wednesday 8th In the morning the boys hauled ½ Ton goods for Jos Wyatt. I cleaned out the Pigs and gathered up all the manure lying about. In the afternoon we washed the pigs and commenced weeding the onions.
Thursday 9th In the morning the boys hauled a sack of Potatoes for Mr Walter. In the afternoon we dug at the bottom of the orchard. There was a heavy shower of rain & hail, the hail stones were the largest I have seen in my life.
Friday 10th This is the 25th anniversary of my arrival in the Colony.
We are digging in the orchard both morning and afternoon. It was a tolerably fine day, very warm in the morning and a slight shower in the afternoon. Willie P. came in the afternoon and staid all night.
Saturday 11th In the morning we were digging at the bottom of the orchard. It came on the rain very heavy in the evening.
Sunday 12th It rained nearly all day, it cleared up toward evening. As it was so wet there was no service.
Monday 13th I made a trough for the other pig stye and separated the pigs. We were digging at the bottom of the orchard. A heavy shower of rain in the afternoon.
Tuesday 14th It was a fine day. We were digging at the bottom of the orchard. The Steamer came in early.
Wednesday 15th My birthday. I am 45 years old to day. It was a fine day. The boys were hauling for Mr Dunning and Joe Wyatt.
I cleaned out the pigs and repaired the floor of one stye. We were digging in the afternoon.
Thursday 16th We were digging at the bottom of the orchard. It came on to rain in the evening, strong wind from NE.
Friday 17th It rained nearly all day. We could not do anything out of doors. I made 2 Fruit Cases.
Saturday 18th It was a fine day. We have had a great deal of rain and the ground is very wet. We were digging in the orchard in the morning.
Sunday 19th It poured with rain all day. Mr Douse was to have preached in the Hall in the morning, but on account of the rain he did not come. There was no service in the afternoon. Willie P. came and spent the day.
Monday 20th We mended up the fence Haskell’s side in the morning. We have 12 lambs now including 2 twins. In the afternoon we dug in the orchard.
Mr T. Knaggs came in the evening.
Tuesday 21st I went to Mr T. Knaggs to get 2 Guava Trees, 1 Cloth of Gold Rose, and cuttings of flowers & shrubs, also cuttings of Goyer’s Late Keeper Apple, July Green Gage & Early Orleans.
It rained very heavy in the afternoon. Mr Pratt came and staid for tea.
Wednesday 22nd The boys hauled up the flour in the morning. We were digging in the orchard in the afternoon. I went to Mr Walter’s for tea and spent the evening.
It was a fine day, and the wind is drying up the ground.
Thursday 23rd The boys hauled up 2 Sacks Sharps & 2 Sacks Bran in the morning.
We were digging in the orchard in the afternoon.
Maud & Henry went up to Mr Walter’s in the evening.
It was a fine day, a few slight showers.
Friday 24th Finished digging that strip on the far side of the orchard. We removed an Oak tree into the paddock in the afternoon. We had several showers during the day – strong wind from SW.
Saturday 25th We sifted a lot of manure on the top of the hill under the tea trees.
We commenced to plant Potatoes Breese’s Prolific on the Convolvulus ground, drills 2 ft 9 in apart, we sowed Bone Dust, ashes & the manure we got from the hill in the trenches, the ground is rather wet.
Strong wind from SW, slight showers.
Sunday 26th It was a fine day. I read service in the afternoon. I went over to John Wyatts and had tea, Tom Ashton was there.
Monday 27th It was a fine day. We finished planting the Breese Prolific Potatoes. We sowed 2 long rows of Peas Veitchs Perfection in manured trenches.
Tuesday 28th There was a heavy shower of rain last night, but there was a strong wind blowing from the SW which dried up the ground.
I was pruning trees in this orchard. Charlie Wyatt commenced to plough on the Race Course.
The Steamer came in very early about 3 oclock. I went down to the wharf in the evening.
Wednesday 29th It was a fine day. We were pruning trees in this orchard in the morning. We then went up to Neeley’s and put 7 of our sheep inside our fence. We then commenced to prune the Orleans Plum trees on the farm orchard. John Salt & Walter Wyatt came for tea and staid the evening.
Thursday 30th It was pretty fine in the morning, but it came on to rain in the afternoon. We continued pruning the trees on the orchard on the farm.
Friday 31st We went over on to the farm orchard to continue pruning, but it was so cold with the SW wind blowing that we had to come this side of the hill again. We dug between the first planted Potatoes, also between the Broad Beans. We also dug next to where they planted the Peas.
There was a meeting of the School Committee in the evening to appoint someone to inspect Mr John Smith’s work in roofing the Teacher’s House with Iron Messrs xxx (Silver fish damage) Knaggs, John Wyatt and I were appointed.
August Rainfall nearly 1 inch under average. Mean temperature the highest recorded for August since 1875.