July 1911

Saturday 1st   It was a beautiful day, and the ground is drying up.
In the morning I sowed 8 short rows of Broad Beans in the front garden. and in the afternoon I sowed Oats between the two Lemon trees and pointed them in.
Willie took his new fishing rod to Ti Point in the morning and he brought home a few fish.

Sunday 2nd   There were showers last night and during the day.
I went up to Mr Handbys in the afternoon and staid tea, I had not been up there since the 26th February.

Monday 3rd   It was raining when we got up this morning, but it cleared up and was a beautiful day.  Willie was fixing up the fence between our place and Mathesons, he took his lunch with him and did not come home until the evening.
I was busy all day, I first emptied the wc and put it on the manure heap, then I covered it with Danthonia hay, and I picked up all the cow dung and put it on top.  I carried horse manure and put it round the Stock plants in the flower garden, also got a kerosene tin full of burnt soil from the barley paddock and put it on the long bed.

Tuesday 4th   It was a beautiful day.  Willie was fixing up the fence next Mathesons all day.
After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters and to get the mail, carried up a bag of sand.  After I came back I cleared all the flower plants off the round bed and commenced to dig it up, I buried all the rubbish that came off the bed and then I got leaves from the bush, also horse manure, which I dug in.  Mabel called in the aternoon.

Wednesday 5th   There was a rainbow this morning, and we thought it was going to be a showery day, but there was only one shower in the morning, the remainder of the day was very fine,  Willie was working at the fence next Mathesons.  Willie put some bullocks on the farm to graze and he was helping Willie clear the fence line.
I finished digging up the round bed.  I went down to the village in the pm to meet the Steamer, a small parcel containing winter shirts from Bridgemans came for me.

Thursday 6th   It was very bright first thing in the morning, but afterwards it clouded over and there were several showers.  In the morning Willie took some eggs down to the Store and while there he heard that the Barbed Wire he orded had come by the “Kawau” yesterday, so when he got home he took the horse & sleigh down to the wharf and hauled it to Norman Mathesons paddock so that it would be nearer the fence he is fixing up.
I sowed seeds of Onions & Cabbages in old zinc tubs in the garden.

Friday 7th   It was a very fine day.  I was helping Willie put the barb wire on the fence next Mathesons all day.  In the evening I went down for the mail and to attend the Library.  There should have been the Annual Meeting of the Farmers Association, but on account of the small attendance it was postponed for a month.  There was also a choir practice.

Saturday 8th   There was a very heavy frost this morning and it was very cold, but it was a beautiful day.
In the morning I was helping Willie finish putting the barb wire on the fence next Mathesons.   Afterwards Willie & Grace walked to Ti Point to fish.  In the pm I sowed seeds in two boxes, as follows, one box Drumhead Cabbage,  in the other Hunimannia,  Potentilla,  Hibiscus Aubrietia,  Shasta Daisy,  Azure Fairy Scabious.

Sunday 9th   It was a fine day.   Revd O. Blundell held service in the Hall in the morning, the congregation was not so large as usual on account of so many of the men folk being in Auckland.  I attended and afterwards went up to Mrs Dunning Senr for lunch, Mr Blundell & Charlie Wyatt also lunched there, in the afternoon I called at Joe Wyatts, but went home early, in time to feed the fowls & milk.  Willie & Grace went to the Mr Ashworths in the pm, but returned home early.

Monday 10th    It was a dull day, wind blowing strong from NW.
Willie was digging up ground below the house for Potatoes.  I planted some Paspalum plants on the hill, planted out two Pelagoniums in flower garden, took up 3 Dalias, cut down the Flowering Cybrus.  Went down to the village in the afternoon to post some letters and to get the mail.  Carried up some sand.
There was a heavy shower of rain in the afternoon.

Tuesday 11th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter, carried up some sand.  After I came back I dug some ground in the flower garden near the front gate, got some leaf mould from the root of a Puriri tree the other side of the hill, also sowed seed of Cauliflower, and planted cuttings of White Verbena.

Wednesday 12th   It was a fine day, with the exception of a heavy shower at 1 pm.  Willie finished digging the piece of ground below the house.  In the forning,  [sic: morning]  I dug below the closet & planted out 13 young Rose trees (rooted cuttings),  In the pm Willie & I went down to the Steamer,  Willie hauled up 1 Cwt Seed Potatoes & a bag of sand for me,

Thursday 13th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was planting out some Albany Surprise Grapes just below the flower garden and in the pm he planted 7 young budded Peach trees just below the house.
I was digging the lower side of the path

Friday 14th   It was a very fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters, carried up a bag of sand.  The remainder of the day I was digging the lower side of the house.  Willie was digging the upper side of the house.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library, also attended a meeting in the Library called by Mr H. Brown, Riding Member to protest the reduction of the river boundaries, also to consider the new wharf, the meeting also decided to borrow £500 to augment the £300 Government Grant to build the wharf.

Saturday 15th   It was a very fine day.  Willie & Grace walked over to Ti Point to spend the day,  Willie went piper fishing, but had no luck, Grace & Minnie went to see Jane and Grace reports that Jane is looking very well.
I staid at home and was digging all day the lower side of the house, & I also burned a lot of clay.

Sunday 16th   It was a very fine day.  Revd Teale held service in the Hall in the pm.  All of us attended.  The sermon  was on the uses of alchahal  [sic] ,  the collection was 9/7
Alma & Arthur were here for dinner and they went to church with us.

Monday 17th   It was a fine day.  I was digging all day below the house.  Willie finished digging the piece of ground the upper side of the house.

Tuesday 18th   It rained last night and there were a few showers today, but not sufficient to interfere with work.  Willie pruned the Diamond plum trees, also the Bon Chretian and Beurre Clairgeau pear trees.  Joe Torkington came here in the afternoon to get some plants of Paspalum.
I finished digging the piece of ground below the house.  In the pm I went down to the village to get the mail and post letters, carried up a bag of sand.

Wednesday 19th   There were several showers during the day.  Willie was pruning in the orchard.  In the morning I was pruning my roses.  In the pm I went down to the wharf, the “Kawau” went into Big Omaha first so I was disappointed getting the mail.  I carried up a bag of sand.

Thursday 20th   It was blowing a gale from the SE accompanied by driving showers, there is a heavy sea running outside.
Willie went down to the village in the pm, the “Kawau” is still in Big Omaha, not able to get out on account of this weather.  Dan Kempt brought the mail over from Ti Point last night, so Willie got our letters today.
I was unable to do anything out of doors.

Friday 21st   There were  few showers in the morning and it was fine in the pm .  Willie was digging in the pigs paddock between the young trees just planted .  I pruned the Cloth of Gold rose growing up the verandah in the morning, and the other rose trees in the pm.
In the evening I went down to the village for the mail and attended the Library.  The Shedule of the Flower Show arrived by the mail from Warkworth.  There was a meeting of the Library Committee, the Tender of Mr Handby for erecting the new cupboard for the Library for the sum of £4 was accepted.

Saturday 22nd   It was a very fine day, the wind has got round more to the S.  After breakfast I went down to the village to get Mrs Harper to stick one of the Flower Show Schedules on her Store window, carried up a bag of sand.  I finished pruning all the rose trees and cut all the grass on the path.  In the morning Willie was mending fences and in the pm he was digging in the pigs paddock.  In the pm Grace went to spend the afternoon at J. C. Wyatts.

Sunday 23rd   It was a very fine morning.  Flo’, Dorothy, Agnes & Arthur were here for dinner and they all went with us to Mr Paris’ service in the afternoon, there was a very good congregation,  while we were in church there was a heavy shower of rain.

Monday 24th   I had intended to go to Ti Point to day, but the weather looked as if it would be showery, but it turned out very fine.
I sowed in a box the following flower seeds
Anterrhinum,  Penstemon,  Dianthus,  Cyanus,  Caliopsis,  Dimorphotheca  Mignonette,  Gentiana,  Sweet Sultan,  Victoria Aster,  Petunia  &  Giant Aster,  and I sowed in a tin  Lantana mixed and Swainsonica Coronilbifolia.
In the pm I went down to the village to get the mail, carried up a bag of sand.  I met Jim Dunning who was coming up here, he told me that Jane was confined of a Son this morning, a fine big boy.

Tuesday 25th   It was a fine day.  Willie was breaking up ground in the pigs paddock all day.  After breakfast I walked to Ti Point, called at H. Torkingtons first to take Flo some rose cuttings, then went to Dick Knaggs to take Mrs K some plants, had lunch there, afterwards called on Mrs D. Knaggs to take her some plants, also called at Mrs Lloyds & Minnie, got some glass from Mr Torkington, reached home before dark.

Wednesday 26th   It was a fine day.  Willie was digging in the pigs paddock.  I was getting a lot of plants & cuttings together to send to Alan Wallace.  I took the parcel down to the Steamer & put it on board to go tomorrow.  I carried up a bag of sand.  Willie took the horse & sleigh down to the wharf & hauled up 2 loads.

Thursday 27th   It rained nearly all day, it is the most rain that has fallen in one day this winter.  In the morning Willie took the horse down to the wharf  and hauled up 3 bags of B & B Manure, coming home he got very wet.
I was unable to do any thing out of doors.

Friday 28th   It rained all day, was not able to do anything out of doors, but get some firewood.  Did not go down for the mail or the Library in the evening.

Saturday 29th   It was raining when we got up this morning, but it cleared up afterwards and there was no more rain the remainder of the day, but after dark it rained steadily.
In the morning Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled up the remainder of the manure (5 bags) he also got the mail.
I got a stock of firewood and in the pm I was cutting tea tree on the road at the foot of Ab’s place.

Sunday 30th   It was fine in the morning, but there were a few showers in the middle of the day and then it was fine in the pm.
Willie & Grace walked to Ti Point to spend the day, Willie returned in the evening, but Grace staid the night.
In the afternoon I called at Mr Gravatts.

Monday 31st   It was a very fine day.  Willie was digging in the pigs paddock.  In the morning I planted some Paspalum  in the front near the lower gate.
In the pm I sowed in half a kerosene tin  Pink Stock,  White Stock, Cream Stock, and in a square shallow,  French Marigold (Legion of Honour),  Chrysanthemum (Tricolour),  Zinnia,  Heuchera  & Schizanthus.