Sunday 1st It was a fine day, but very windy. I read service in the afternoon, there were not many at there.
Monday 2nd It rained a little last night wind blowing as strong as ever. In the morning we went over on to the farm orchard to cut the Scotch Thistles. It came on to rain heavy in the afternoon, it cleared up again & we went over again and pared the weeds under the Plum trees.
Tuesday 3rd As it was too wet for shearing, we went over on to the farm orchard and continued paring the weeds under the Plums, but it came on to rain heavy & we had to come home, went over to the farm in the afternoon and pulled up tea tree.
Wednesday 4th John hauled a sack of Maize for T. W. Knaggs. Henry & I were beating the ground under the dining room window. We got the Sheep up in the afternoon and sheared 10. It came on to rain and we had to let them out again. Mr Rayner came & staid all night. It poured with rain in the evening.
Thursday 5th The ground is very wet, the rain has sunk in very deep. John & I planted a lot of short rows of Negro Beans in the Pigs Paddock at the top side of the Maize. The Maize has come up very badly, as the seed was too old, we replanted some of it.
Friday 6th It poured with rain last night and it was very showery all day. John & Henry replanted the Maize in the Pig’s Paddock with seed given me by John Wyatt. I was weeding the Carrots etc. We got the Sheep in in the afternoon and killed a fat ewe.
Saturday 7th It was a fine day, the boys went to Big Omaha in the morning to get the boat that Henry has bought of of Willie Brookman. The girls & I were weeding the Carrots & Parsnips in the morning & I stuck the row the row of Peas near the front gate. In the evening I planted out 5 plants of Tomatoes the far side of the orchard that Mr Joseph Greenwood sent me.
Sunday 8th It was a very hot day. Mr Moor preached in the Hall in the morning. I read service in the afternoon. Charlie Ashton came up here for tea.
Monday 9th It was a fine day. We got the Sheep up in the morning and started shearing again, we sheard 24. Tom Ashton & brothers came over to take away 2 Sheep & 2 Lambs that are in our place, but they say they are not theirs so they did not take them.
I cut and marked Lambs as follows
3 Wethers
2 Ewes
Total 5
Tuesday 10th It was a fine day. We began shearing first thing in the morning and finished early in the afternoon, we sheared 17 of our own, there was 1 Sheep belonging to Mr Frearson that had not been sheared, so he came over and sheared it & took the wool away, it had a Lamb but it was not in the stockyard so he left the Sheep until we got them in again. We have 1 Sheep out to shear, we have now sheared 90.
Henry went over to Pakiri in the evening to commence to work for John Salt tomorrow. The Steamer came in very late & returned to Auckland the same night.
Wednesday 11th It was a fine day. John & I finished beating and hoeing up the ground below the house, we then went & finished digging in manure round the Pumpkins in the orchard where the Turnips were growing.
Thursday 12th It was a very hot day. In the morning we put some wires on the fence to keep the bullocks getting into the farm orchard. We commenced planting Mangels (Golden Tankard) in rows 18 in apart in the ground just below the house. There was a Dance in the Hall in the evening.
Friday 13th It was a very hot day. We continued planting Mangel. I went to the Library in the evening.
Saturday 14th There was a shower of rain early this morning which freshened everything up. It turned out a hot day. We continued planting Mangels. Henry came from Pakiri in the evening, Willie also came.
Sunday 15th It was a fine day. I rode over to Dacre’s Claim in the morning to service & returned for dinner. Mr Brookman came over here in the afternoon & staid for tea & went with us down to service which this Sunday has been changed to 6.30 in the evening, there was a very good congregation numbering 56. Henry returned to Pakiri.
Monday 16th It was a fine day. We finished sowing the Mangels below the house also sowed 3 rows of Red Beet & a short row of John Bull Pea. Commenced to beat and dig the ground the other side of the Onion beds, which was in Oats the early part of this season.
Tuesday 17th A very hot day. We continued digging the other side of the Onions. It blew very strong in the afternoon. It threatened very much for rain in the evening.
Wednesday 18th We had no rain last night. It was a very hot day. John hauled a load for Haskells in the morning & we continued digging. In the afternoon we went over on to the farm & commenced cutting down tea tree.
Mr & Mrs Walter & Mrs Whitby & Janie Brown came for tea.
Thursday 19th It was a hot day. We were cutting tea tree in the morning and digging in the afternoon. William Brown’s house at the Pa was destroyed by fire this afternoon.
Friday 20th It was a very hot day. We cut tea tree in the morning and dug in the afternoon. We got the Sheep up in the evening.
Saturday 21st It was a hot day. John sheared the sheep that we missed before, he then hauled a load of firewood.
Mr Jackson came up & ordered some Potatoes, so we dug some and John hauled ½ Cwt down with his horse in the afternoon.
Henry returned from Pakiri in the evening, John Salt came with him & had tea here.
Sunday 22nd It commenced to rain at about 11 oclock in the morning and continued raining all day. Wind from the NE.
There was no service. Henry returned to Pakiri but Willie staid.
Monday 23rd It rained all last night but was fine this morning and turned out a fine day. The rain has done a deal of good. We packed the Wool and took one bale down to the Wharf in the evening. We were hoeing amongst the Maize and & Beans in the Pigs Paddock, also finished digging the piece of ground the other side of the Onions.
Tuesday 24th It was a fine day. John took the other bale of Wool down to the Wharf the first thing in the morning.
I dug out a trench and manured with stockyard manure and sowed one row of Veith’s Perfection Peas. The Steamer came in about 8 pm and went out same evening a good many passengers came up in her, Charlie went to Auckland in her.
David Darroch launched his new barge this morning a good many people were over to see it and they had a dance in the Hall at Dacre’s Claim this evening.
Wednesday 25th Christmas Day. It was a fine day. We all spent the day at home. Maud & John went up in the afternoon to the cricket and Willie P. returned with them. Henry & I went down the beach in the afternoon & I called up at John Wyatts.
Thursday 26th Boxing Day. There were one or two showers during the day. Maud & Willie went to Matakana to a cricket match and staid for the entertainment in the evening. Minnie & Jane went to a Picnic on the Pakiri beach with the Greenwoods & Walters.
John & Henry went out in their boat, but caught no fish. I rode up to Mr Pratts and spent the day there, returning in the evening.
Friday 27th It was a fine day. We were cutting tea tree both morning & afternoon. We killed a Sheep in the evening. I went to Mr Walter’s for tea and spent the evening. Willie took a beehive for us in the bush, it had a nice lot of honey in it.
Saturday 28th It was a fine day. Willie helped the boys cut tea tree in the morning & they went fishing in the afternoon & caught a few rock cod. I was digging in the orchard. Minnie & Jane spent the day at Mr Walters & went with them down to the Goat Island.
Sunday 29th It was a hot day. I rode over to Dacre’s Claim in the morning to service and went up and had dinner at Mr Ashton’s returning home in the afternoon for tea. Mr & Tom Pratt & Walter Wyatt had tea here and went with us to church. There was a very good congregation. Henry returned to Pakiri in the afternoon.
Monday 30th It was a fine day. We dug in the orchard in the morning and cut tea tree on the farm in the afternoon.
Tuesday 31st In the morning we were deepening the creek to prevent the Sheep getting into Matheson’s.
In the afternoon we were digging in the orchard.
Weight of Wool this season 