August 1899

Tuesday 1st   There were a few slight showers during the day.  I packed a Bundle of (10) Sheepskins also a Box Eggs (12 Doz) and hauled them down to the Wharf in the afternoon also Janes luggage.
Jane went to Auckland in the “Rose Casey” on a visit to Miss Harding.  I hauled up a Sack Maize, and empty Egg box and some gravel for the fowls.  I paid Jane 8/2, her share of the butter money supplied to Miss Niccol, W. Frearson  & W. W. Dumper up to this date.

Wednesday 2nd   It rained first thing in the morning and we thought it was going to be a wet day, but it turned out very fine, there were a few slight showers in the afternoon .  I was pulling up tea tree in the morning and in the afternoon I went down to John Wyatts to witness the signature of old Mrs Wyatt who is applying for an Old Age Pension.
Miss Niccol & Miss Mitchell & D. W. Knaggs were here for tea and spent the evening, the latter came to register the birth of his child.

Thursday 3rd   It was a fine day.  Willie staid away from School and helped me plant Potatoes below the house between the newly planted peach trees.  There were slight showers in the evening.

Friday 4th    It was a fine day.  I took the bullocks down to the village in the morning and hauled up a bag of Potatoe Manure from Harpers also some stones for the bottom gateway.  Willie & I planted some Potatoes below the house between the newly planted Peach trees.
Killed a Sheep in the evening.

Saturday 5th   It rained very heavily this morning, but it cleared up and was a tolerably fine day.  I took the mutton out and chopped some wood in the morning.
In the afternoon there was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall at 2 pm and a meeting of the Hall Committee in the evening.  Dan Kempt was here for tea.

Sunday 6th    It was a fine day.  I took a walk round the farm in the morning, I noticed 6 Lambs and one dead one , these are the first that we have.
I read service in the Hall in the pm.  There was a pretty fair congregation.  Mr & Mrs C. Wyatt and children were here for tea.

Monday 7th   It rained early in the morning and it had every appearance of a wet day, however it cleared up and we had no more rain afterwards, but the ground was too wet to continue planting potatoes.
In the morning I skinned a Sheep that I found dead on the farm, I brought home the meat for the fowls.
In the afternoon I was cutting tea tree outside Fordhams orchard for wattling.  We caught the 4 young roosters in the evening.

Tuesday 8th   There were several showers during the day.  I packed the eggs in the morning and got the bullocks up.
In the afternoon I hauled up a load of long tea tree for wattling, hauled the eggs down to the wharf and brought up a sack of stones for the bottom gate,  the empty egg box and a parcel that Jane sent up.

Wednesday 9th    It was a fine day.  Ernest Wyatt came and paid for the grazing of his horse – and put the Horse on the farm to graze so that the charge will start from today.
Mr Witten called in the morning for some grafts of Apricot, he had a look round the orchard and gave me advice about several matters, he would not stay for lunch because he had a loaded pack horse down at the gate.
We made a Manure Place in the cow paddock by driving tea tree stakes into the ground in a circle and wattled it with the tea tree that I hauled up from Fordhams, and then I bound wire round the top threading it through holes that I bored in the stakes to keep the cattle from horning it off.
A Hen that set herself in the landslip brought out 12 chickens we removed them and put them into a coop.

Thursday 10th   It was a very wet day, and it poured with rain in the pm, there was a regular flood.  We were not able to do anything out of doors.  There was to have been a School Committee meeting at the School in the evening, but I did not go.

Friday 11th   It was a fine day, but the ground is very wet after all the rain we had yesterday.  I was pulling up tea tree and piling sticks in heaps out in the front both morning and afternoon.  I went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 12th   It was a very fine day.   I was pulling & piling tea tree in the morning.  In the afternoon there was a working bee at the Hall to clear the ground of tea tree, only Mr Greenwood , Dan Kempt and I put in an appearance.  Minnie rode to Ti Point to fish, but she did not get any, Joe returned with her for tea.

Sunday 13th   It was a very blusterous day the wind blowing very strong from the E, there was no rain to speak of.
On account of the very threatening weather I did not go down to the Hall so there was no service.  Joe  T  was here for tea.

Monday 14th   It was blowing a gale all last night and all today accompanied by driving rain.  It is the heaviest wind we have had for some years, the sea is running mountains high and in the harbour great waves are running in.  I went down to the cove in the afternoon to have a look .  Was not able to do anything out of doors. I packed a box of Eggs.

Tuesday 15th    My 56th birthday.  It has been blowing a gale the last two days from the SE and it blows with violence today.
On account of the wind and rain I was not able to do anything out of doors.  I went down to the store in the afternoon on business, no likelihood of any Steamer coming.  When I was down there the froth from the sea was being blown over the land.  I heard down there that this wind had done great damage to the early planted Potatoes.

Wednesday 16th   The wind still blowing a gale from the SE.  Was not able to do anything outside but cut a bit of firewood.

Thursday 17th   The wind is still blowing strong from the SE, but there was very little rain.
Willie & I were pulling up tea tree in the front in the afternoon.
Minnie & I rode over to Ti Point in the afternoon and Joe returned with her.  The Miss Fordhams came in the evening to pay their account.

Friday 18th   It was still blowing very strong from the SE.
Got the Sheep up in the morning and Killed one in the afternoon .
There was a Social in the Hall in the evening in aid of the Hall funds, we all went with the exception of Willie, 21/- was taken.

Saturday 19th   It rained very heavy last night, but was fine today, tho’ threatening & dull.  I took the mutton down to the village in the morning.  Revd E. M. Cowie called.
I was pulling tea tree in the afternoon.  Minnie & Willie went to the Hall in the evening to a Communicants Class.  There was a meeting of the Farmers and Fruitgrowers Association at Mr Harpers, we had a very pleasant meeting.

Sunday 20th   It was a beautiful day, so sunny & warm, the wind blowing from SW, the sea also very calm.
Revd E.M. Cowie  held service and Holy Communion in the Hall at 11 am, there was a good congregation, there were 16 Communicants and the collection 21/-
Birt & Miss Britton  & Joe had dinner here.

Monday 21st   It was a very fine day.   Minnie went to help Mrs Handby.  Willie staid from school and helped me plant Potatoes below the house between the newly planted peach trees.

Tuesday 22nd   It was a fine day.   Planted a few Potatoes.  Packed a box 19 Doz Eggs and in the afternoon hauled it and another box 13½ Doz that should have gone last week 32½ Doz Eggs, down to the wharf, and brought up a box of groceries and a bag of stones for the bottom gate.
Revd E.M. Cowie  came in the evening and staid all night, Miss Niccol came in the evening and we had a rubber of whist.

Wednesday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Got up early and had breakfast as Mr Cowie was going away by the “Kapanui”.  Minnie rode up to Pratts and spent the day there.  Willie staid from school and helped me, we finished planting Potatoes between the newly planted peach trees.  Willie went over to Lloyds, Ti Point and got a sitting of Brown Leghorn Eggs and we set a hen in a box in the yard with 15 Eggs.
We got in the bullocks and hauled a catamaran load of manure from under the tea tree on the hill, to put in the newly made manure heap.

Thursday 24th   It was a fine day, but there was some dusty rain towards evening.  Willie & I sawed off part of a puriri log on the hill to split a few posts to mend the garden fence.

Friday 25th   It was a showery day and the wind was blowing very strong in the afternoon.  I borrowed a maul and split 7 puriri posts on the hill.  Willie set a Brown Leghorn hen in the Pine branches on 13 Eggs ,  2 brown leghorn eggs that we got from Lloyd and 13 eggs that came from Mrs C. Wyatt.

Saturday 26th   It was a showery day, especially in the afternoon.  I was boring and morticing posts on the hill.  Willie went over to Ti Point fishing, he caught several large schnapper.  Minnie rode over in the afternoon and helped him carry them home.

Sunday 27th   It was a fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the pm, there was only a moderate congregation.  Joe T was here for tea.

Monday 28th   It was a fine day.  I finished boring the posts on the hill in the morning.
In the afternoon I rode over to Dacres Claim to Mr Whitakers to pay him for some peach trees that he ordered for me from Lippiatts.  He gave me some grafts of Bonds Seedling Peach.  I also called at Mr Birdsalls to return a book that I borrowed of him.  I got some grafts of Black Mulberry and Siberian Crab.

Tuesday 29th   It was a fine day.  We hauled the posts from the hill and then hauled up a load of firewood.  Hauled the Eggs down to the wharf in the afternoon, the “Rose Casey” did not come in until 3 pm. Jane came home from Auckland by her.
The floor boards for the new Hall came up in the Rose.  I hauled up two loads of the flooring and young John Greenwoods two loads.  I had Jane‘s luggage, empty egg box,  case of kerosene & a bag of shells also to haul up.

Wednesday 30th   It rained nearly all last night, and it was very showery all day.  I was making the fastening for the bottom gate.

Thursday 31st   It rained heavily last night, it was a very fine day, but the ground is saturated with water.  I was mending up the fence round the farm orchard.  Minnie was sewing at Mrs Fordhams.
Mr Roose called in the afternoon, but I did not give him an order.

Memo’
The Fowls laid 861 Eggs during the month of August
= to 71 Doz & 9.  Valued at £1 . 18 . 3