Thursday 1st In the morning it was showery, but in the afternoon the weather was finer.
After breakfast I went down to the P.O to post some letters, it was too wet to do anything on the ground. In the evening I went down for the mail and attend the Library. The Annual Meeting of Subscribers to the Show was held, and the prizes paid.
Friday 2nd There were several showers during the day. After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, afterwards I was working in the flower garden. Willie was working in the orchard (digging) in the morning. In the afternoon I went up to John Greenwoods to get a ram, it was ear marked with a V out of the lower side of the off ear and Willie put our own mark on the same ear.
Saturday 3rd There were several heavy showers in the morning, but the afternoon was fine.
I was working in the flower garden marking out the beds and putting in the kerbing round one of the three cornered beds.
Willie went down to the village in the afternoon after the arrival of the Steamer to get the mail. After he came home he picked some pears. Jane went over to the dance at the Claim in the evening.
Sunday 4th It was a beautiful day. The wind has got round to W.
Jane and Willie rode over to Ti Point to spend the day.
I went up to Mr Handbys in the afternoon and staid for tea.
Monday 5th It was a fine day. Willie’s 26th birthday.
After breakfast Willie hauled 6 Cases of Fruit down to the wharf to meet the “Kawau” from Mangawai. I also went down and got some sand which Willie hauled up. In the afternoon Willie was digging at the bottom of the orchard preparing the ground for young trees.
I was working in the flower garden.
Tuesday 6th It was a fine day, but there was a shower in the evening. In the morning Willie was picking fruit, and he hauled it down to the wharf in the afternoon and brought up some Groceries, Sugar and empty fruit cases all of which came up in the “Kawau” this pm.
Wednesday 7th It was a fine day. Willie went down to the wharf in the morning to ship his fruit by the “Kawau“. The remainder of the day he was digging in the orchard. I was working in the flower garden.
Thursday 8th It was a fine day. Willie was digging in the orchard all day. I was working in the flower garden.
In the evening I went down to attend the Library, afterward there was a Meeting (the Annual one of the Farmers Association). Mr John Greenwood & Mr Banks were re-elected President and Secretary respectively – Willie & I joined again, After the meeting we all went down to the Post Office , the mail only just then came in, it only left Warkworth at 7 pm.
Friday 9th Good Friday. It was a fine day. Willie went out fishing with Archie Morley to the reef, he did not return until late in the pm. He brought home several schnappers & cods. Archie Dunning set fire to his bush in the afternoon, Jane wen down to see it, but I am afraid it did not burn very well.
I was working in the flower garden. I planted out the following bulbs
2 Narcissus (La Grande Monaique), 1 Daffodil, 1 Snowflake, 2 Paper White Narcissus, 1 The Bride Glidislur.
There was a Dance in the Hall in the evening, Jane & Willie went.
Saturday 10th It was a dull day, it came on to rain in the evening.
Willie was digging in the orchard preparing for planting trees. I was doing a little in the flower garden.
Sunday 11th It rained nearly all day, none of us went out. Jim was here in the afternoon.
Monday 12th It rained first thing in the morning and we thought it was going to be a wet day, but it cleared up & was very fine in the afternoon.
Willie picked 9 Cases Apples and hauled them down to the wharf in the afternoon, and brought up some empty cases. I put in a bit of kerbing in the flower garden. Jane & Willie went to a Dance in the Hall in the evening.
Tuesday 13th It was a fine day. The wind is blowing from SE. The “Kawau” should have called in here from Mangawai at 3 am this morning, but she went past without calling, over a dozen people were waiting to go up with her. Mrs & Miss Birdsall & her sisters were among those waiting, and as the Steamer did not come their brother Bowden drove them over to Warkworth to go up to Auckland in the “Kapanui” at noon to day, as Ethel Birdsalls steamer leaves tomorrow for Frisco whither she is proceeding to join her future husband Ellis Bryan who was at one time assistant Steward on the “Kapanui“.
Willie was picking Apples, afterwards he was digging in this orchard.
Jane rode to Pakiri en route for Whangaripo to visit Mr & Mrs Alf Rayner.
I was digging in the flower garden, I dug over two of the three cornered beds and planted 2 Pelagoniums, also bulbs of Ixias (red with black centre) also Fresias. In the latter part of the afternoon I went down to the village to get the mail.
Wednesday 14th It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing pretty strong from the SE. After an early lunch Willie took 8 Cases Apples & a Box of Eggs down to the Steamer and brought up some empty cases and a bag of B & B manure that he got at the Store.
In the afternoon I was working in the flower garden, I planted in one of the three cornered beds 18 clumps of Snowlakes and 1 of Red Ixias. I dug up another three cornered bed and planted a clump of Hoop Petticoat Narcissus, also two clumps of the same in other parts of the garden.
Thursday 15th It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing strong from SE. Willie was blowing digging in the orchard. I was working in the flower garden, I dug over the top three cornered bed digging in sieved fowl manure & B & B manure and I sowed the following seeds.
Purple, Mauve & White Candituft, Sweet William, Stocks, Scabious, Canterbury Bell, Lupin, African Marigold, Dark Blue Forgetmenot, Unknown from Mrs D K & seeds of Fresias. While I was at work in the pm Cyrus Matheson came to tell me that one of our cows had got bogged in the swamp near the lower gate, it proved to be Dolly, with plenty of help by people passing we got her out & she did not seem much the worse.
Friday 16th It was a fine day, and the wind has moderated. Willie was digging for trees and he finished it this afternoon. I was working in the flower garden. I sowed seeds of Pansy, planted clumps of Orange Gladidn (?) Took up and replanted the Blue Tritonias, also planted a clump of Bride Gladiolus, also was digging towards Janes Lemon tree. Jane returned from Whangaripo in the evening. I went down for the mail in the evening. The overland mail arrives at Leigh on Friday evening now, started tonight.
Saturday 17th It was a fine day. In the morning Willie picked 2 Cases of Maggs’ Seedling Apples in the farm orchard, in the pm he went fishing with Archie Morley and brought home several schnappers.
I was working in the flower garden. I planted a plant Jane brought me from Mr Jos Harper, also a Foxglove, and took up and replanted a clump of Fairy Bells. After dinner I went down to the wharf to meet the “Kawau“. Several passengers came up, Mr Pratt brought me up a bottle of mineral water.
Sunday 18th It was a fine morning, I rode over to Ti Point to spend the day. I first called at D. Knaggs to take Mrs K some flowers and seeds, but they were both out so I went on to Mr Neeleys where I staid dinner. Afterwards I called down at Joes – arrived home before dark. There were a few showers in the pm, but the weather seems more settled as the wind has gone round to the SW.
Monday 19th It was a fine day. In the morning Willie hauled 7 Cases of Fruit down to meet the “Kawau“, he brought me up a bag of sand. In the afternoon he was digging out some Apricot trees he had cut down. In the morning I was working in the flower garden, I replanted the Coral bulbs, also 5 of Miss Harding bulbs, and replanted the pale blue Hydranga, afterwards I was digging out the onion scented bulbs to burn them. In the afternoon I went down to Mr Geo Knaggs to witness the signatures of the old peoples pension papers. Mr T. Knaggs gave me some orange Lily bulbs and some Princess of Wales Violets.
Tuesday 20th It was a fine day. In the morning I planted the Violets in the three cornered bed. In the pm I went down to the village to get the mail, also went down to the beach to gather some sand, one small bag I carried home, and a heavier one I left for Willie to haul home. Willie was picking apples and he hauled them down late in the afternoon.
Wednesday 21st It was a fine day. Directly after breakfast Willie went down to the wharf to ship his fruit &c per “Kawau“. Afterwards he was digging where he cut the Apricots down, in the afternoon he was burning the blackberry patches in the paddock.
I was digging the piece of ground below the round bed.
A traveller called in the morning representing the First Aid Society , I ordered a Cabinet of him. Mrs Arthur Greenwood called in the morning and staid dinner.
Thursday 22nd It was threatening for rain all day, but none fell, but it commenced to rain in the evening. Willie was burning the rubbish on the ground he has been digging up in the orchard . I finished digging the piece below the round bed, afterwards burned the rubbish I dug out on the ground, Replanted a clump of Purple Tritomia and Double Daffodil.
Friday 23rd It rained all morning. We were not able to do anything out of doors. I strung up the Onions.
In the evening I went down for the mail, also attended the Library. The Annual Meeting of the Hall Committee was held afterward. Mr D. M. Kempt submitted a statement of accounts which showed a balance in hand of £18 . 17 . 0. The old committee with the exception of Mr E. D. Harper instead of Mr W. Frearson.
Saturday 24th It was a fine day. I was working in the flower garden. In the morning I was fixing some kerbing round the top three cornered bed . In the pm I took up and replanted the Pink Gladiolus and dug up the bed where it came out.
Sunday 25th There were several showers last night, but it was very fine today. Revd S. Entrican held service in the Hall in the morning. I attended, there was a good congregation and Mr Entrican preached a good sermon. Johny & Madeline Salt drove over to spend the day, Mr Banks also returned with me for dinner, and they had a look round the garden and orchard in the afternoon .
Monday 26th It was a fine day. Willie picked 6 Cases Apples and hauled them down to the wharf in the afternoon.
I was working in the flower garden. I started to take out the last of the pine stumps, but found it more solid than expected.
I took up and replaced the Pink Watsoniana, also planted bulbs of magenta Gladiolus that I got from Mrs Runciman, 3 Choice Gladiolus bulbs, & Allium Neopolitanum, also a plant of Pelagonium.
Tuesday 27th It was a fine day. Willie was marking out the places for Fruit trees and working up the ground, in the afternoon he took the horse down to the wharf to meet the “Kawau” and he hauled up a Bag of Flour, a Bag of Sugar and he took the horse up to the cottage and brought home the stove that was there, so that the horse had a good load coming up this hill. I was working in the flower garden , I dug out a clump of magenta bulbs and burnt them, I replanted some Ixias, also planted some White Ixias in the long bed , also some Orange Tiger Lilies that Mr T. W. Knaggs gave me.
Wednesday 28th It was a fine day. I planted a few Daffodils that Mabel gave me, dug the piece of ground near the front gate & set fire to the pine stump. Willie picked 6 Cases Apples and hauled them and a box of Eggs down to the Steamer, I also went down and got a bag of sand which Willie brought home on the sleigh.
Thursday 29th It was a fine day. Willie and I were all day taking out the old stove in the kitchen and putting in the stove that came from the cottage.
Friday 30th It was a fine day. I finished fixing the kerbing round the last three cornered flower bed. I went down for the mail and attended the Library in the evening.
Willie dug all the Kumeras and put them on a shelf in the Store. They turned out very well.