Saturday 1st It was a very hot day. We all went to the Domain at the Dacres Claim to a Picnic. There were a great number of people there. The Committee have got the ground fenced in and they made a charge of 6d for every horse taken inside, they also organised some sports which were well contested. I had dinner with C. Wyatts and tea with D. Darrochs. Willie & I returned early in the evening to milk the Cows. The girls staid for the dance.
Sunday 2nd It was a very hot day. I read service in the Hall in the evening. There was a large congregation. W. Frearson was here for tea.
Monday 3rd It was a hot day. I took the bullocks down to Harpers in the morning and hauled up a Sack of Maize, afterwards hauled a load of firewood.
Miss Harding & the girls went to a Social in the Big Omaha School this evening as a send off to the young Meiklejohns.
Tuesday 4th When we got up in the morning there was a thick mist accompanied by rain and it rained more or less all day, sometimes very heavily.
I went down to the village in the pm to post some letters.
There was not so much fruit sent away by the steamer as the rain prevented the people from picking it and hauling it down.
The Steamer left about 5 pm .
Joe Torkington was here for tea.
Wednesday 5th It rained all last night and all this morning. The ground is thoroughly well saturated now, it is the most rain we have had for a very long time.
I was cutting tea tree outside the orchard fence
The weather cleared up in the pm, the wind blowing from the S.
Miss Harding and Jane went to McKenzies in the afternoon.
Thursday 6th It was a fine day. I had a Telegram early this morning stating that the “Rose Casey” would come tomorrow leaving at 2 pm so I started round on horseback to let the people know, I got part of the way to Pakiri when I met Jno Greenwood who told me that he had told Mr Witten so I turned back with him to Jos Greenwood and went down to his orchard and helped pick plums, had dinner there and then I rode to Boyds to tell them about the Steamer. When I got home I planted out 21 Kumera plants.
Friday 7th It was a fine day. We picked 1 Small Case Apricots 14 lb net and 1 Case Mixed Pears and Plums. Hauled them down to the Wharf in the afternoon & hauled a bag of gravel up for the fowls. The Steamer made her 1st second weekly trip arriving soon after 4 pm and leaving as soon after she had taken cargo in.
There were 84 Cases Fruit, 5 Sacks Gum & 1 Hide going away by her. We Killed a Sheep in the evening.
Saturday 8th It was a fine day. I took the mutton out in the morning. I syringed some trees with hellebore in the evening. There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the evening .
I sowed 3 rows of Canadian Wonder Beans.
Sunday 9th It was a fine day. I rode to Pakiri in the morning to service in the Hall conducted by Revd Worboys – went to Wrights for dinner and had a look round his orchard in the pm. Went up to Mr Wittens and had tea there and had a look round his orchard afterwards, reached home about 9.15 pm.
Willie went up to spent the day at Mauds. Miss Harding & Jane returned from Kempts and then went to Jos Wyatts and spent the evening there.
Monday 10th It was a fine day, but there was a slight shower of rain in the afternoon. I was digging out dock in the orchard and made a fire to burn them.
Mr & Mrs Masefield came in the pm. Mrs M went a ride with Miss Harding and Minnie and Mr M looked round the orchard with me, they had tea and spent the evening here.
Tuesday 11th It was a fine day. I took 5 Doz Eggs to Masefields to sell in the morning, and got a setting of Eggs from him & set a Wyandottee hen in the pine tree. Went down to the village after dinner to lay out some work for the Road Board.
The Steamer came in early, but could not come alongside of the Wharf until about 6 oclock and it was nearly 7 before she left.
I had up 100 Fruit Cases by her. Miss Harding & the girls spent the evening at Mrs Dunnings.
Wednesday 12th It was a fine day. Hauled the Fruit Cases up in the morning, was making some up in the afternoon. It takes 1 lb nails to make 16 cases.
We all went to Mr Masefields to spend the evening & enjoyed ourselves.
Thursday 13th It was a fine day. I was digging out dock in the orchard and burning themMrs & the Miss Fordhams came to spend the evening.
Friday 14th It was a fine day. I was making Cases in the shed.
Killed a Sheep in the evening. The Annual meeting of Subscribers to the Public Library was held in the Library room in the evening. I attended and was elected on the committee. We had a party of young people at our house in the evening.
Saturday 15th It rained this morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon.
I planted out a few Kumera plants in the afternoon.
Miss Harding & Jane rode over to Dacres Claim in the afternoon, there was a Cricket Match between the Omaha and Matakana Junior teams, the latter won, they had tea over there and there was a dance in the Hall in the evening.
Sunday 16th It was a fine day. I went and had a look at W. Frearson orchard in the afternoon, he returned with me for tea. I read service in the Hall in the evening, there was a good congregation.
Monday 17th It was a fine day, but very windy in the evening.
Maud came h over in the morning and staid for dinner.
I hauled a load of firewood, also took Miss Harding’s luggage down to the Wharf and hauled up a load of gravel.
Tuesday 18th It was blowing and raining last night and until after 5 this morning, it then cleared up and turned out a fine day.
Mr Baverstock came here and had a look round the place in the morning, and he staid for dinner. The “Kawau” called in here about 8.30 this morning to take Miss Harding to Mangawai.
The “Rose Casey” came in about 1 pm, she had big cargoes both ways and several passengers.
Wednesday 19th It was a fine day. Willie & I were cutting Cocksfoot grass seed in the orchard, mad a stensel plate and syringed the pear trees in the evening.
Jane went up to Maud’s in the evening and staid all night.
Thursday 20th It was a fine day. In the morning Willie & I cut all the docks in the orchard and made a fire and burned them.
In the afternoon I was doing odd jobs. Mr Roose came in the afternoon had tea here and staid all night.
Friday 21st It was a fine day. I was doing odd jobs. The Steamer came in sometime after 2 pm, she brought up 3 passengers and took away 1 and a lot of Fruit & Charcoal. Killed a Sheep in the evening.
Saturday 22nd It was very misty all day, took the mutton out in the morning, dug some Potatoes, planted some Kumera shoots etc. There was a special meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the evening.
Sunday 23rd There was a heavy shower of rain early this morning, the atmosphere was very close & hot, but there was a wind blowing in the afternoon which made it a bit cooler.
Miss Clara Fordham & Miss Weston came to look at my orchard in the pm and staid for tea. I read service in the Hall in the evening. Willie rode up to Mauds to spend the day.
Monday 24th It was a fine day. We were picking fruit all day.
Tuesday 25th It was a fine day. We finished picking fruit and hauled the following down to the Wharf.
5 Cases Orlean Plums, 2 Cases Green Gages and 1 Box 7 lb Butter, which I consigned to Hall and Perkins.
The Steamer went to the Little Barrier before coming here, which made her late, a great quantity of fruit was sent by her and she had several passengers. She did not leave here until about 6.30
Wednesday 26th It was a fine day. The “Kawau” called in about 1 pm from Mangawai, bringing Charlie Gravatt & his wife & Miss Harding, the latter came to stay with us. We went down to the Wharf and hauled her luggage up.
Walter Frearson came in the evening and staid & had a game of cards. Killed the Ram Lamb in the evening.
Thursday 27th It was a fine day. We were picking Orleans Plums in the farm orchard. Mr & Mrs C. Gravatt came for dinner. There was a dance in the Hall in the evening. Miss Harding & Jane went.
Friday 28th It was a fine day. we hauled 5 Cases Orleans Plums & 1 Case (16 Doz) Peaches down to the wharf, they are consigned to Hall & Perkins. The Steamer should have come in at 2 pm, but she did not come until about 3.30 and then she could not come alongside of the wharf, there were about 100 Cases of Fruit and 24 excursion passengers at 5/- each besides 5 others who had return tickets.
We Killed a Sheep in the evening.
Walter Frearson, his sister Mrs Goodwin and two Miss Goodwins came to spend the evening.
Saturday 29th It was a fine day. Took out the nutton in the morning and did odd jobs.
Sunday 30th It was a fine day. Jane & Miss Harding rode to Pakiri to spend the day, returning in the evening. I spent a very quiet day at home. I read service in the Hall in the evening.
Monday 31st It was misty in the morning, but it cleared up and was a fine day. We were picking Orleans Plums in the farm orchard all day, Miss Harding was helping us. There was a meeting in the Hall in the evening to elect a new organ committee, only 4 persons attended, the old committee was re elected. We went to Mrs Fordhams afterwards to spend the evening.
The fowls laid 242 Eggs = 20 Doz & 2
15 Doz were sold for 9/8. if the remainder
5 Doz we sold at 8 d per doz they would have
realised 3/5 – total 13s 1d