Sunday 1st William Dyer borrowed a bag of flour and took it home on his horse, Joe Anderson went home with him and staid all night. We had a few showers during the day. I went to call on Mrs Kirkbride and Mrs Anderson in the afternoon.
Monday 2nd Joe came home early in morning. We continued hoeing up, it is splendid soil where we are working. I think it will produce a good crop of Wheat.
Tuesday 3rd I went over to Mrs Andersons in the morning & took her some milk. Got ½ bushel of Wheat from Jim for seed. Went over to Speedwell with the horse the afternoon and brought over two loads. Joe went home in the evening and brought a snapper home with him. It was a beautiful day, more like summer than winter, it was quite hot in the middle of the day.
Wednesday 4th We continued hoeing up. Mrs Anderson & Lizzie came over in the afternoon to see me. Churned 1½ lb of butter. John Wyatt came over in the evening to bring my clean clothes.
Thursday 5th Joe saw the two bullocks below Mr Knagg’s in the morning, so I sent him over to Pakiri to Mr Dyers to tell him, Charlie Dyer came home with him to look for them and staid all night. Tom & I hoed up all day.
Friday 6th Joe & Charlie went to look for the bullocks, but returned without seeing them. Tom & I hoed up all day. There was very strong wind. Jim and Willie Anderson came over in the evening.
Saturday 7th There was plenty of wind with several showers.
Tom went to Speedwell in the morning with the horse and brought home a load of Pumpkins & Vegetable Marrows. We continued hoeing up.
Sunday 8th The wind continues to blow very hard from the northward. Jim & Tom Anderson came over to see me in the afternoon. Joe & I went to Eastfield in the evening.
Monday 9th I churned in the morning 2 lbs of butter. Joe tried to take a beehive, but was not successful. We continued hoeing up.
Tuesday 10th We went to Speedwell in the morning with the horse and brought home a load of Maize and Pumpkins. We continued hoeing up in the afternoon. The wind still continues to blow strong from the same quarter.
Wednesday 11th It rained in the morning, so we finished picking the wheat. In the afternoon we continued hoeing up. I soaked the ½ bushel of Wheat in a solution of 2½ oz of Blue Stone and water in the evening and left it in soak all night.
Thursday 12th It rained nearly all day, we were not able to work out of doors. Tom made a portable frame for the grind-stone, and put it into the whare so that we can grind axes on a whet day. Mr Whitten & Mr Wright came over in the afternoon, Mr Whitten brought the fruit trees I ordered of him. The following is a correct list.
10 Apples
10 Pears
20 Peaches
5 Nectarines
10 Apricots
15 Plums
5 Cherries
10 Quinces
10 Grape Vines
5 Figs
5 Mulberries
2 Lemons
5 Rhubarb Roots
In all 122 Plants, I put them into the Oat ground until we can get the orchard ready for them.
Friday 13th We cut raupo and put it in the pig stye and calf-place. Tom & Joe went to get Kraka. We hoed up in the afternoon.
Saturday 14th I churned 1 lb 10½ oz of butter. Tom & Joe went to Pakiri with the horse to get some Pork, but did not return at night.
Sunday 15th The wind was very strong and it rained. Tom & Joe did not make their appearance.
I went over to Mrs Andersons in the afternoon, Jim returned with me and staid for tea.
Monday 16th Tom & Joe came home in the morning, with a very large pig they had bought of the Maoris at Pakiri; it weighed when dead 167 lbs, we were the remainder of the day in cutting it up and salting it down in a cask.
Tuesday 17th Joe went on the horse to Pakiri to take the money for the pig and to fetch the head of it home that they had left there.
Tom & I staid at home and rendered the lard down, we also went to Speedwell and brought a load of Pumpkins & Maize.
Wednesday 18th It was showery all day. Joe went home in the morning to see if he could borrow Jim’s slasher, but he had lent it. Tom & I staid at home and made some brawn.
Thursday 19th Tom went to Speedwell in the morning with the horse and brought a load of Pumpkins and Mangold Wurtzels for the pigs. In the afternoon we commenced to clear away the tea tree scrub down by the swamp, round the whare and along side of the Oates; this piece of land I intend as the site of my orchard.
Joe & I went over to Eastfield in the evening to take them some brawn. We played a rubber of Whist.
Friday 20th I churned in the morning 1 lb 13½ oz of Butter.
Tom & Joe finished hoeing up the Wheat ground in the morning, they fell tea tree scrub in the afternoon, I went to Mrs Kirkbrides, but they were all out, I called at Mr Porter’s on my way home for my clean clothes.
Saturday 21st Tom & Joe went down to Speedwell with the horse in the morning to fetch a load of Pumpkins for the pigs, it rained very heavily in the afternoon so that we could not get Starry home.
Sunday 22nd It was very showery all day. I did not go out anywhere all day. The pigs got out of the sty but we got them in again in the evening.
Monday 23rd I went over to Speedwell in the morning to fetch maize. Tom & Joe slashed down tea tree scrub.
Tuesday 24th Tom went down to Speedwell with the horse in the morning to fetch a load of Pumpkins.
We slashed down some tea tree scrub. We burnt off the rubbish in the Wheat ground.
The “Ida Zeigler” arrived from Auckland.
Wednesday 25th Mr Wyatt & John came to day to commence the poultry yard. We cut down tea tree scrub in the morning. Joe & I went to Captain McKenzies in the afternoon on the horse to borrow 100 lbs of flour, we brought it home on the horse. Tom went to the Pa to get some Kumera’s.
Thursday 26th I sowed the ½ bushel of Wheat on the enclosed ground and we began to chip it in, but it came on to rain before we had finished it which obliged us to leave it. I sowed a little Rye Grass, Red & Whit Clover & Trefoil on a piece of burnt ground in the clearing. The cutter “Stag” arrived in harbour from Auckland early in the morning, she went round to Great Omaha to load.
Friday 27th We finished chipping in the Wheat in the morning. Tom went to Great Omaha in the afternoon on the horse, the “Stag” was going to sail in the evening. Joe & I went to get some Karaka in the afternoon we also slashed down some tea tree scrub.
Saturday 28th Tom went to Speedwell with the horse in the morning to fetch a load of pig food. We cut down some tea tree scrub & cleaned the house well out in the afternoon. It rained very heavily in the evening. I churned in the afternoon 14 oz of Butter.
Sunday 29th It cleared up to day and was very fine, in fact it was a very hot day. I went over to Mrs Kirkbride’s in the afternoon for service, nearly all the Andersons were there.
Monday 30th We continued to slash down tea tree scrub. Tom went over to Speedwell on the horse to get a load of pig food.
Tuesday 31st We continued to fall tea tree scrub.
I went over to Mr Knaggs in the afternoon to see if he would do some ploughing for me.