Saturday 1st It was a very fine day, but windy, still from SW. Went up to the Teachers house in the morning and passed Mr Smith’s work which we found very satisfactorily done.
Cleaned out the pigs in the afternoon and did other odd jobs.
Sunday 2nd It was a fine day, the wind has changed to E. Went round the farm in the morning to look at the Lambs, there seems to be a good many twins.
Read service in the afternoon. Charlie Wyatt, John Salt & William P. came for tea.
Monday 3rd It was a fine day though rather cloudy. John Salt & Mr Spencer left in their Yacht for Coromandel via Auckland.
In the morning we went down to Matheson’s beach with the bullocks and got a load of shell sand. In the afternoon we weeded the Onion beds. Maude & John went up to Mr Walter’s in the evening.
Tuesday 4th We continued pruning the trees on the farm. The “Rose Casey” came in the evening. The boys took the bullocks down to the wharf and brought up 100 lbs Corned Beef that the Captain got for us.
It rained very hard in the evening. Miss Pratt came and staid all night.
Wednesday 5th We finished pruning the trees in the farm orchard in the morning.
In the afternoon we commenced digging at the bottom of this orchard round the rows of young Apple trees & Plum trees, we dug in manure round the trees. It rained again in the evening.
Thursday 6th Charlie Wyatt had the use of our bullocks today to plough on the race course.
We continued digging round the trees at the bottom of the orchard.
Friday 7th We continued digging round the trees at the bottom of the garden. In the afternoon we sowed the White Stone Turnips where the strawberries were last year.
Saturday 8th It was a fine day. We sowed 8 rows of Purple Top Turnips 16 inches apart between the rows next to the White Turnips we sowed yesterday.
I sowed some Cabbage seed also Tomatoe & Capsicum in the afternoon.
I heard this evening of the death of Dr Campbell of Warkworth who had committed suicide by taking poison last Wednesday.
Sunday 9th It was a fine day with the exception of two showers of rain. Revd R. McKinney held service in the Hall in the morning, there was a very large congregation. I read service in the afternoon, about 24 present. Duncan Knaggs, Walter Wyatt, Tom and xx Pratt came for tea. We had some White Stone Turnips for the first time for dinner that grew the far side of the orchard, they were sown on 31st May, 100 days.
Memo The White Stone Turnips growing just below the house were sowed April 2nd commenced to eat June 23rd, 81 days – and have been using them ever since for the table and for the pigs, they have produced a tremendous amount of feed, and they will last a good many weeks longer. I read a very good article in the New Zealand Farmer for August entitled ‘Hard Times and a Farming Life’ by J. W. Waipa. The writer deprecated the general cry of hard times and farming don’t pay and said that farmers should be more contented, they had very few wants and could supply most of this xxx from the land.
Monday 10th It was a very fine day. I was grafting some Peaches, Apples and Pears.
The boys were digging round the trees. Mr Walter came for tea and spent the evening.
Tuesday 11th I finished grafting in the morning.
In the afternoon we dug up a piece of ground for parsnips and Tomatoes, we dug manure in every trench.
Wednesday 12th Finished digging up the piece of ground for Parsnips, we then hoed the earliest Potatoes, and then went over the other side of the orchard and commenced to dig, but it came on to rain and we had a heavy shower.
Thursday 13th We commenced to plant Negro Beans in the orchard where Oats were growing in rows 2 ft 6 in apart, we put manure in the trenches and a little bone dust in the drills with the seed. We cut down all the tea tree inside the fence and took out the stumps.
Friday 14th We continued planting Negro Beans in the orchard. We beat and dug the Parsnip bed, but it was too wet to sow it so we deferred doing so until another day.
Saturday 15th In the morning we sowed 5 rows of Parsnips in drills 12 inches apart, sowed fine bone dust & ashes in the drills covered the surface with shell sand. In the afternoon put up a trellis alongside of the path to train Tomatoes up.
Sunday 16th It was a fine day, the ground is very dry and rain is very much wanted. Read service in the afternoon there were about 30 present. I went to Mrs Fordhams for tea to see Mrs Eyie, who is staying there with her two children.
James & Charles Dunning and Willie P. were at our place for tea.
Monday 17th We finished planting Negro Beans up to the Turnips. We then flat hoed the Early Rose Potatoes near the manure heap in the orchard.
I went to Mrs Walters for tea & spent the evening.
Tuesday 18th We moulded up the first planted Potatoes in the morning.
In the afternoon we cleared the piece of ground near the front gate and dug manure in each trench. We had a slight shower of rain in the afternoon but not nearly enough to sink in the ground.
Wednesday 19th The boys were hauling for Mirehouse all day. I was digging near the front gate.
Thursday 20th We finished digging the piece near the front gate, we dug up the bed where we sowed Carrots but they did not come up. In the afternoon raked down the bed and sowed it with Carrots of my own growing, fine bone dust in the drills and covered the surface with shell sand.
Friday 21st We continued digging round the trees in the orchard.
I went to Library in evening.
Saturday 22nd Charlie Wyatt came in the morning to cut our Lambs. Those operated on were as follows,
Ewes 22
Whethers 15. Total 37
There were three sheep of Frearsons in with them & two lambs, they cut the lambs & ear marked them with a new marker they have got , “a club” – in the near ear – John Wyatt’s long tailed sheep has two ram lambs, Charlie & the boys took them down to the beach.
I went up to Pratts in the afternoon and staid all night, Mr pratt was not at home, he had gone to Auckland to see the Doctors.
Sunday 23rd I came home in the morning arriving about 12 oclock. I found here Messr George & Thomas Ashton & Charlie Wyatt, they had a look round the garden and staid for dinner.
I read service in the afternoon & they went down with me, they came here for tea & also Mr Hadwick.
Monday 24th When we got up in the morning there was a fine rain falling, and it was very misty all day, but it did not wet the ground much, I was sowing flower seeds in the garden, the boys transplanted Onions.
Tuesday 25th We were digging between the trees in the orchard.
The steamer came in early.
Wednesday 26th The boys were hauling for Mirehouse. I went up to Neeleys and got 3 sheep out & 1 lamb, it was a ewe lamb, I ear marked, & cut its tail.
It came on to rain heavy in the afternoon.
I spent the evening at Mr Walter’s.
Thursday 27th Everything seems refreshed with the nice rain we had yesterday afternoon.
We mended the wattled fence at the Koeroa creek in the morning, continued digging in the orchard.
Maud and I went over to Dacre’s Claim Hall in the evening to service, Revd M. Kirkbride officiating, there were about 40 present, and it was a very nice service.
Friday 28th Revd Kirkbride and Mr Birdsall came over here in the morning and had dinner here, Mr Kirkbride staid here all night.
We continued digging in the orchard.
Saturday 29th Mr Kirkbride started for Pakiri in the morning.
We finished digging the piece of ground near the Beurree Diel Pear Tree. We then earthed up the Early Rose Potatoes near the manure place in the orchard. I sowed 1 row of Veitch’s Perfection Pea next to the others.
Sunday 30th It commenced to rain in the morning at 9.30 and continued all day until the evening. Revd M. Kirkbride preached at Pakiri, only 20 there, collection 9/- odd, he preached in this hall in the evening 9 present, collection 5/6. Mr Kirkbride returned and staid all night.