Wednesday 1st It was a fine day. In the morning I was preparing a trench for planting Cauliflowers. In the afternoon I was digging down at Pats. In the evening I planted 18 Cauliflower plants.
Thursday 2nd There was a heavy shower last night and also one early this morning, but it turned out a fine day.
Friday 3rd It was a very fine day. I wrote a letter to my son Willie and gave it to W. Dunning to post at Warkworth. As Pat is carting goods to Leigh I got him to get £10 out of the P.O. Bank for me. I was working down at Pats in the morning.
Saturday 4th It was a fine day. I was preparing the ground for another row of cauliflowers. In the pm I was working down at Pats,
I finished digging the piece of ground near the back gate , and then started to dig the other side of the path.
Sunday 5th It was a fine day. Willies 42nd birthday. Revd Addenbrooke held service in the morning, there were 14 present . Collection 10/9. The parson and Eddie Wyatt were here for dinner.
Monday 6th I wrote a letter to Mrs Joe Greenwood sympathising on the loss of her husband and my old friend. Also a letter to Mrs Halliwell of Te Araroa. Jean made an iced birthday cake for Willie and took it to the post, also posted my letters.
I was preparing a drill to plant another row Cauliflowers. There were a few showers and very strong wind which blew down two of my Tomatoes so I got some more stakes from the Domain.
Jim & Hector were marking out the tennis court at the Domain.
Mr Stewart was here for dinner.
Tuesday 7th It was a very fine day. I was preparing more ground to plant Cauliflowers. Mrs Stewart came to spend the day , Mr Stewart took a horse to Matakana and called in here in the afternoon for Mrs S. Will Dunning is going to take them to Matakana this evening to a social for Revd Thornley who is leaving the Church.
Jim carted home with Jack’s wagon & horse 2 ton of Basic Slag, afterwards he carted home a load of firewood.
Wednesday 8th It was a fine day. I planted 15 Cauliflower plants and 10 Lettuce plants.
Thursday 9th It was a fine day. A Rodney Cricket team is going to play matches at Whangarei and Northern Wairoa this Easter. Jim & Pat went in Jack’s car this morning. Ivy Wyatt and her three boys came to stay with Dolly in Pats absence. Alf Dunning went for the mail today as tomorrow is Good Friday . I was preparing more ground for planting. As the weather looked very threatening I picked in some seed of Canadian Wonder Beans that were dry.
Friday 10th It rained nearly all day. I did not go up to the garden.
The rain put some water into the tank which was acceptable as it was empty. The rain was also good for the garden, but unfortunate for the holiday makers. As we got the mail yesterday, I was reading the Weekly News.
Saturday 11th It was a fine day. The rain we had yesterday has softened the ground and made it easier to work. I took out the sticks of the last planted Homestead beans. I planted a row 18 Enfield Market Cabbage.
The young people were down at the domain playing Tennis & Bowls. Mr C. Dunning and Kathleen were here for tea and staid the night.
Sunday 12th It was a very fine day, but rather cold. Revd Rouprecht held service in the hall in the morning. 17 of a congregation. Colltn 9/4 .
Eddie, Ivy & the four little boys came up here in the afternoon, Eddie cut my hair, they went up and looked at my garden, I gave Ivy some Cauliflowers & Lettuce plants , also a few Pansy. Jean went down to keep Dolly company as Pat is away with the cricketers.
Monday 13th Easter Monday. It was a fine day. I was working all day in the garden preparing a row for planting another row of cabbages, and digging between the rows of cauliflowers.
Jane and the children were down at the Domain in the afternoon playing tennis and bowls.
Tuesday 14th It was a very fine day. I was working in the garden all day. I was preparing another row for cabbages. I planted out 24 Lettuce plants. Jim returned from his cricketing trip in the afternoon, the Rodney team played 3 matches and won every one.
On Good Friday they played at Whangarei. On Saturday & Monday they played at Dargaville, on Sunday they were taken to the West Coast. They enjoyed a very pleasant trip. Jim saw Fred Davey, but Willie D stayed with him and he saw Noel Wallace.
Wednesday 15th It was a very fine day. Mr Stewart called in the morning to give the children lessons. Willie Dunning was carting his furniture over to Big Omaha and removing his family there as he has bought H. Delatour’s farm formerly R Williams.
I planted another 18 Enfield Market Cabbage plants. There was a Variety Entertainment at Leigh in the evening, Jim & Jane went.
I posted a Weekly News to my brother Henry who lives at 20 Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London.
Thursday 16th There was misty rain in the morning, but was fine in the afternoon. Will Dunning was returning to Leigh with his waggon, hauled up a load of firewood for Jim , and he called in here, he wanted Hector to help drive a cow from Leigh to his new place at Big Omaha, so Hector was away all day. While it was raining in the morning I was shelling beans. In the afternoon I was digging between the newly planted cauliflowers and cabbages.
Friday 17th It was a fine day. I was digging another strip next the last planted cabbages. Mr Stewart took his horse to Matakana to get shod, Mrs Stewart came with the cream cart and came up here. Mr Stewart called in the afternoon and they both stayed the night here. We played 500 in the evening.
Saturday 18th It was a very dull day, the sun hardly showed out. There was a send off for Mr & Mrs Watt Darroch who are leaving the district to reside in Auckland. Most of the neabours
[sic: neighbours] round about assembled at the domain in the afternoon which was spent in playing bowls & tennis. About 5 pm we all adjourned to the hall where the ladies had provided a bountiful tea, after which Mr Whitaker in a few chosen words presented Mr & Mrs Darroch on behalf of many friends, certain house hold requisites.
Sunday 19th It was a very fine day. Mr Milligan held service in the hall in the morning, there was a good congregation (18). Mr Milligan came here for dinner. In the afternoon I went up to Mr Whitakers and spent a very pleasant time.
Monday 20th It was a fine day. I took out the sticks of the homestead beans, and also of Suttons peerless peas. Jim commenced to sow Slag on the paddock.
Tuesday 21st It was a fine day. The [school] started again today after the Xmas holidays, the reason being on account of infantile paralysis being prevalent. Mildred went with Hector & Jean for the first time, being over five years of age. Jim was sowing slag. Jane went round to see Mabel in the afternoon. Mr & Mrs Watt Darroch left the district this afternoon in Mr D. Darroch’s launch to reside at Stanley Bay, North Shore.
I sowed a row of Silver Beet.
Wednesday 22nd It was fine during the day. I planted out 6 Pansy plants & 6 Phlox plants. It came on to rain late in the afternoon and continued nearly all evening.
Thursday 23rd It was a very fine day after the rain which has freshened up everything. I dug a strip next the row of silver beet, the rain has softened the lumps. In the afternoon I prepared a row to plant sweet peas. Dolly & Ina [sic: Ivy ? ] came in the afternoon, I had sent her down some cauliflower and pansy plants and I gave her some lettuce plants to take home with her. I wrote letters to Elliott & Holden, also to my son Henry reminding them that half a years interest was due.
Friday 24th It was a fine day. Jim drove Jean to Matakana to get her false teeth from the Dentist. I prepared a trench and sowed a row of Sweet Peas. Received a letter from Henry containing a cheque for £32 . 11 . 3 .
Saturday 25th Fine weather in the morning, very dull in the afternoon and a shower of rain at 5 pm. I did odd jobs in the garden. Planted out some Panseys & Phloxs in a box. Took up some Cauliflower and Pansy plants for Mrs Whitaker. All of them went down to the Domain in the pm to play tennis & bowls, so they took my plants to Mr Whitaker who was at the Domain.
Sunday 26th It was a wet day, but cleared up a little late in the afternoon. There was no service so I did not go out anywhere. Alma Wallace & Laurence Whitaker came in the afternoon just in time for tea, Alma staid here.
Monday 27th It rained nearly all day, it cleared up a little in the afternoon. I was not able to do anything in the garden so I shelled Canadian Wonder Beans. Jane & Alma went down to Dolly’s in the pm. Laurence came in the evening and we played 500.
Tuesday 28th It was a fine day. I commenced to trench the piece of ground for Onions, the ground works splendidly after the rain yesterday.
Alma left here in the afternoon to go to Whitakers as she is leaving for Auckland on Thursday.
Wednesday 29th It was a very fine day. I finished trenching the piece of ground I started yesterday and formed it into beds for onions. Then prepared a drill for broad beans.
Thursday 30th It was very fine and sunny in the morning, but dull in the afternoon. After breakfast I went down to the beach to get some sand, on coming home I was overtaken by Bowden Birdsall who came to tell us that Mr Holder had died in Auckland yesterday and was going to be brought here to be buried, he asked Jim to go with Laddie Whitaker to dig his grave in this cemetery, so Jim went in the afternoon.
I sowed a row of Broad Beans.
In the afternoon I prepared one onion bed for sowing. I put on a bucket of ashes, half a bucket of blood and bone and six kerosene tins of sifted cow manure. I dug these in and raked it smooth ready for sowing the seed.