August 1890

Friday 1st   We were cutting bush all day.  We took our dinner up with us.  The wind blowing strong from the N, the ground is drying up.  I went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 2nd   It was a fine day, wind blowing strong from the N.  Willie Wright came for dinner and took away 2 young pigs.  Mr Bennett also sent for 1 pig.  I cleaned out the pigs in the afternoon and separated the Sow from the remaining 3 young ones.

Sunday 3rd   It was very dull in the morning and it came on to rain in the afternoon.  There was no service.
Wind blowing strong from the NE.

Monday 4th   The boys were at work cutting bush.  I was pruning the Lemon trees.  The wind has changed and is now blowing from the W.
It was fine in the morning, but was showery in the afternoon.

Tuesday 5th   It was a fine day, wind blowing from the SW.  The boys were cutting bush all day.  I was pruning the Lemon trees.  The Steamer came in early and brought a great quantity of goods.  I wrote and sent away a letter to my brother John, also sent two newspapers to my brother Tom which will go by the English mail which leaves Auckland next Monday August 11th.

Wednesday 6th  It was a fine day.  Mr Jackson and Mrs Brownett went away by the Steamer this morning.  John was cutting bush.  I was pruning Lemon trees.  Henry was hauling goods from the Wharf for Mr Walter, T.  &  J. Wyatt, and for ourselves.

Thursday 7th   Henry finished the hauling early in the afternoon.  John was cutting bush.  I was pruning the Lemon trees.  Maud & I went to Mr Walters in the evening.

Friday 8th   John & Henry were cutting bush all day.  I finished pruning the Lemons also the Vines & cleaned out the drain.  Henry took 3 sheep out of Mr Neeleys.

Saturday 9th   The wind gone round again to the E.  It rained last night and we had a heavy shower in the morning.  The boys were cutting bush in the morning.

Sunday 10th   It was a wet day, there was no service in the pm.

Monday 11th   I was pruning trees the far side of the orchard.  The boys were cutting bush.

Tuesday  12th   The boys were cutting bush.  I was pruning trees & making cases.  The wind is again blowing from the E.  The Steamer did not come in.  The Revd Hewlett should have come up in her to marry Mr James Brown to Miss Gravatt tomorrow.

Wednesday 13th   The Steamer did not come in this morning.  The boys were cutting bush.  I was making cases, splitting ends & pruning trees.

Thursday 14th   It was a fine day.  The “Rose Casey” came in early this morning, the reason why she did not come on Tuesday was because she made a special trip to Coromandel on that.
Mr Christie & Miss Ashton were married today by Revd McKinney and on account of Revd Hewlett not being able to come up to marry Miss Gravatt yesterday Mr McKinney went over to Pakiri and married them this afternoon.
The boys were cutting bush.  I was manuring the Lemon trees with fowl manure.

Friday 15th   Henry hauled goods for A. Haskell & T. W. K.  We commenced planting Lapstone Kidney Potatoes in rows 2 ft 9 in apart, we used as manure bone dust, ashes and sea sand.  It was a very fine day.

Saturday 16th   The weather has changed, wind blowing from NE and it rained in the evening.  We continued planting Potatoes.

Sunday 17th   It did not rain during the day, but was very dull.   I read service in the afternoon.  It came on to rain in in evening.

Monday 18th   It rained steadily all morning, cleared up in the pm, but came on to rain again in the evening.  I was making Cases in the shed and split some ends.  The boys mended up the orchard fence in the farm and cut some firewood on the hill.

Tuesday 19th   There were a few showers during the day but more especially towards the evening.   The Annual Meeting of Ratepayers was held in the Hall at 2 pm.  The boys were cutting bush and I was pruning trees in the orchard.  When Maud took the eggs down to the Store she paid our Account owing to Elston.

Wednesday 20th  It was a fine day.  I was pruning trees and the boys were cutting bush.  The Steamer came in the morning.  Charlie Wyatt went to town.

Thursday 21st   It was fine in the morning, but it came on to rain in the afternoon.  I finished pruning in the orchard.  The boys were cutting bush.

Friday 22nd   It was a fine day.  The boys were cutting bush all day.  I was pruning the trees in the farm orchard.  I went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 23rd   It was a fine day.  The boys were cutting bush in the morning, I was pruning in the farm orchard.
Maud rode up the hill in the afternoon, she called in to see Mrs Greenwood and then went on to Pratt’s where she staid.

Sunday 24th   It rained in the morning.  Revd S. Griffith was to have preached in the Hall in the morning, but no one came on account of the weather.  I read service in the afternoon.  Maud returned in the afternoon.

Monday 25th   It was a very vine day.  We finished planting the Potatoes below the house in the morning.  In the afternoon we went down to the beach & burned a lot of sea weed.

Tuesday 26th   It was a very fine day.  I sowed a row of Peas next the Potatoes near the path, the seed was given to me by John Wyatt.  I put pigs manure in the trench, bone dust in the drill and covered them in with sifted leave mould, sand & soil.  The boys were planting Potatoes on the far side of the orchard.  Miss Pratt came up from the skating & staid all night.  The Steamer came in late in the evening.  Charlie Wyatt came up, also Mr Graham who has been in the Hospital with a cut foot.

Wednesday 27th   Henry was hauling goods for Mr Walter & Joseph Wyatt.  John & I went down to the beach in the morning to sift the sea weed ashes, but they were too hot, so we had to come up again.  We got the sheep up in the evening.  Fine day.

Thursday 28th   A very fine day.  Walter Frearson came in the morning to take his sheep out.  I gave him a Lamb that was not marked, in place of one he thought I marked of his last season, he took 7 sheep altogether.  T. & C. Ashton came in the afternoon and took away 3 Sheep belonging to them.  We cleaned all our Sheep.  Charlie had the use of our bullocks to haul up bricks, timber & funiture.  The boys put new rails in Frearson’s fence.  Maud & I were planting Potatoes in the afternoon.

Friday 29th   The boys were cutting bush in the morning.  I went down to the beach and sifted the sea weed ashes.  In the afternoon I finished planting Potatoes.  Willie Pratt came & staid, he has got a bad foot.  It rained in the evening.

Saturday 30th   It was a fine day.  We cut a lot of firewood in the morning.  I sowed some Cabbage seed in a box in the afternoon.

Sunday 31st   It was a fine day.  I read service in the afternoon.  Afterwards I went to see Mr Graham.  Willie Pratt went home in the afternoon, Henry went with him and returned in the evening.  Maud went to Mrs Dunnings and staid for tea.