July 1898

Friday 1st   It rained nearly all day.  It was not quite so bad in the pm, so we got the Sheep in and killed one.  There was a meeting of the Library Committee in the evening.  I went and we selected some new books.

Saturday 2nd   I took the mutton out in the morning.
There was a meeting of the Road Board in the afternoon and a meeting of the Farmers Association in the evening at Mr Harpers.  I read a paper on  A Glance at the Exports & Imports and the importance of encouraging Colonial Manufacturers.  Mr James Dunning attended and explained what they intended to do with respect to the running of their new Steamer to Omaha.  There was a better attendance than usual.

Sunday 3rd   It was pretty fine in the morning, but showery in the pm.  I went down to Old Mr Wyatts and found that he had been taken very ill in the night.  I called Charlie who told John and most of the family came to look after him, he was unconscious all day.
Revd J. W. Worboys came in the pm to see him and said he was dying and that he had had a paraletic fit.  John,  Charlie,  Emily,  Minnie sat up with him.

Monday 4th   Mr Wyatt Senr died at 2.45 am this morning.  I went to Pakiri in the morning to let Robert Wyatt & John Salt know, I called in at most of the houses on the road.

Tuesday 5th   Walter & Alfie Wyatt and Jim Young came in a boat from the Kawau & Tom & Joe Wyatt by the “Rose Casey” they were just in time for the funeral.
I read the funeral service, there were a good many present.  Jim Young came here and staid all night.

Wednesday 6th   It was fine in the morning.  The sons & grandsons took old Mrs Wyatt down to John Wyatts where she is going to stay.
I hauled up 1 Cwt Potatoes, 1 Box Groceries and a tin of Kerosene from the wharf.

Thursday 7th   It was a fine day.  I took down the Hams and Bacon from the smoke house and hung them up in the kitchen, they weighed as follows.
Ham                            18 lb   10 oz
Ditto                           17           8
Bacon                         21        11
Ditto                           22           4
                                       80           1
I was cutting tea tree on the farm in the afternoon.
The two Miss Niccols,  Mrs D. Knaggs and her sister Mrs Shepherd & child came for tea,  the latter staid all night.

Friday 8th   It was a showery day.  Mrs D. Knaggs & Mrs Shepherd & child left this morning.
I was cutting ti tree by the side of the orchard fence.
Killed a Sheep in the afternoon .
I went to the Library in the evening.  I received a letter by the mail from my sister Fanny, she sent me Photos of my dear Father & Mother taken from the oil portraits in the possession of my brother John.  I was very pleased to get them.

Saturday 9th   There were a few showers.  I got the bullocks up, took the mutton down to Harpers and hauled up 100 lbs Flour.  Also got from T. Wyatt  2 Cwt Pumpkins.
Minnie & Willie went eel fishing in the Koeroa creek and caught one. I did odd jobs in the afternoon.  Joe Torkington & Mr Whitaker came in the evening.

Sunday 10th   It was a dull day, but it did not rain.
I read service in the Hall in the pm, there was only a small congregation.  Minnie went up to Mrs Handbys and staid for tea.

Monday 11th   There were a few showers during the day, but nothing to speak of.  I was cutting up the pine tree and cutting tea tree.  There was a meeting of the School Committee up at the School in the evening.  I was present.

Tuesday 12th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers.  I filled two bags with fowl manure and took them on the sleigh down to the Store where I got a bag of Potatoe Manure, and hauled them to the E.R. to be in readiness  for planting Potatoes.
Went down to the Steamer in the afternoon, there were 4 fishing yachts in and they put a lot of fish on board the “Rose Casey“.
After the Steamer went away I went with D. Kempt to look at a road leading to the Pa.

Wednesday 13th   There were a few showers, but nothing to speak of.  We commenced to plant Potatoes in the E.R.  Minnie & Willie helped me, we took our dinner down with us and boiled the billy and made some tea.  We planted the Potatoes in rows 2 ft 6 in apart and used drug Cos Potatoe Manure and also a little fowl manure.  We planted  6 rows.   We had dinner in the evening, we were all so tired that we went to bed at 8 pm.

Thursday 14th   There were a few slight showers but nothing much.  We continued planting Potatoes in the E.R.  Minnie & Willie helping.  We took our dinner as yesterday and worked there all day.  We planted 6 rows .

Friday 15th   It was a beautiful day, not a shower,  wind SW.   We continued planting Potatoes in the E.R.  Minnie & Willie helping.
Killed a Sheep in the pm.  Willie went down for the mail in the evening and I went to the Library to see the new books that have just arrived.

Saturday 16th   Willie & I took out the mutton in the morning, we then went down to the E. R. and took our dinner with us.  We finished planting the Potatoes  there are 21 rows planted altogether.  Afterwards I sowed 1 row of Veitch’s Perfection Peas next to the potatoes.  There was a heavy shower of rain just as I finished and it showed a bit afterwards, but it cleared up and it was a clear star light evening.
Minnie went with the two Miss Niccols to call on Mr & Mrs Sim in the afternoon,  Minnie afterwards went to Mrs James Torkingtons

Sunday 17th   It was a fine day with the exception of a slight shower in the afternoon after church.
I went over to Tom & Joe Wyatts in the morning.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a larger congregation than usual.  After church I went down to John Wyatts to see Old Mrs Wyatt.
Joe Torkington was here for tea.

Monday 18th   It was a beautiful day, not a shower.  Charlie Gravatt came first thing in the morning  to register his baby.
I split two posts and bored and morticed them to mend up the orchard fence, I dug out the hole to put the new post in, but I did not quite finish it.  We had a big fire in front of the house in the evening and burned up a lot of the Pine twigs.

Tuesday 19th   It was blowing a gale of wind all day from the S & E.  There was a tremendous sea rolling outside.   The Steamer did not come in on account of the weather.
Mr & Mrs Leeds came over to see the settlers about the Medical Club – but there were very few people about as they did not expect the Steamer so Mr Leeds decided to have a meeting at Mr Harpers next Saturday night.
I finished mending up the orchard fence in the morning, I returned the auger to Joe Wyatts in the pm then took the Eggs down to Harpers and carried up some gravel.

Wednesday 20th   The wind was still blowing very strong all day and there was a heavy sea running.
Minnie rode to Pakiri in the morning to Mrs John Salts to make a dress for her, this is Minnies first start at dress making and I hope she will be successful.
Willie went to School so I was left quite alone.  I was carrying pine branches out of the garden all day.

Thursday 21st   It was still blowing hard all day from the NE.   Willie went to School.
I was cutting away the pine branches and mending the fence in the front of the house.

Friday 22nd   Minnie returned from Pakiri in the morning.  It was showery all day, but it poured with rain in the evening.  It was blowing hard all day, but I suppose this heavy rain will beat the wind & sea down.  Killed a Sheep in the afternoon.

Saturday 23rd   It was a fine day.  The wind has gone down but it is still at NE.  Took the bullocks down to Harpers in the morning with the mutton and hauled up a Sack of Sharpes.  I was mending up the fence in front of the house in the afternoon.
There was a meeting at Harpers in the evening to form a Medical Club,  Mr & Mrs Leeds were there to explain the matter, most of those present put down their names as subscribers.

Sunday 24th   It was a very dull day.  I went down to the Hall in the pm, but on account of the threatening state of the weather there were very few present so I had no service.
Joe Torkington was here for tea.

Monday 25th   It was a fine day.  Minnie went to help Eva Frearson make a dress.  I was mending up the fence near the land slip and cutting ti tree.  The Miss Niccols came here in the evening.

Tuesday 26th   I took the Eggs down to Harpers in the morning and then I split some palings.  Took the Bullocks down to the Wharf to meet the Steamer,  Jane came up by her.  I hauled up 1 Sack of Maize,   a bundle of trees that came from Morrisons and Janes luggage.  We went to spend the evening at Miss Niccols to meet Mr & Mrs Sim and Mr Sheppard.

Wednesday 27th   It was a showery day.  Richard Knaggs was married to Miss Anna Zanders by Revd R. McKinney  afterwards called here.
I took the bullocks down to the Wharf in the morning and hauled up 1 Sack of Maize & some grit for the fowls.
I was mending fences.
Richard Knaggs gave a social in the Hall in the evening, we were all invited, but we did not go.

Thursday 28th   It was a fine day.  I planted 6 Elberta Peach trees in the farm orchard.  I had a fire there and burned up some old peach branches that were lying about.  I went to Mrs Dunnings & C. Wyatts in the evening.  There was a heavy thunder storm.

Friday 29th   It was very showery all day.  I had a sore place on my right hand so that I could not use it.  Walter Frearson came in the pm and killed a Sheep for me, he staid for tea.  It thundered and lightened very strong in the evening accompanied with heavy rain.

Saturday 30th   It was a very cold and showery day.  There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the afternoon, I took the mutton out at the same time.  There should have been a meeting of the Fruitgrowers Association in the evening, but there were only 4 members present, so the meeting was adjourned to this day month.
Dan Kempt was here for tea.

Sunday 31st   It was a very cold and showery day & very windy.  There was no service in the afternoon.  Jane went to Mrs C. Gravatts in the afternoon and staid for tea.

Memo’   The Fowls laid 241 Eggs during the month of July
being 21 Doz  &  9
Valued at   £1 . 1 . 6