October 1889

Tuesday 1st   It was very fine in the morning.  I stuck the Kentish Invicta Peas.  The boys flat hoed the remainder of the Potatoes.  It came on to rain in the afternoon and it rained very heavy in the evening.  Miss Pratt came in the evening and staid all night.

Wednesday 2nd   The weather was fine with the exception of a few showers in the afternoon.  The boys went down to the wharf with the bullocks in the morning and hauled up 3 Bags of Flour, 1 Bag Sugar & 1 Sack (200 lbs) Sharps that we had up by the “Rose Casey” last night.  We dug up some of the hard ground the far side of the orchard.  “May” calved a heifer calf.  Maud & Henry went down to Mrs Fordhams to spend the evening.

Thursday 3rd   Henry went down to the beach with the bullocks to return the Flour & Sharps that we borrowed of John Wyatt, he also brought up a load of sand.  Maud & I went up to Mr Handby’s in the evening.  Mr Graham brought his Sow to our Boar.

Friday 4th   We commenced to chip in Oats up on the hill  the ground is very wet &  sad since it was ploughed.  I went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 5th   In the morning we continued to chip in the Oats on the hill.   In the afternoon I re grafted three Pear tress at the bottom of the orchard, the top one with Doyenne D’Ete, the second one Louise Bonne of Jersey and the bottom one with Beurre de Capaiumont.  Charlie Gravat & John Salt came for tea.  Willie came down to the skating and staid over the Sunday.

Sunday 6th   It was a very fine day.  I rode over to Dacre’s Claim Church in the morning.  Read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there were 44 present.  Charlie Wyatt came for tea.

Monday 7th  It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers.  We continued chipping in the Oats up on the hill both morning and afternoon.  The children went back to School after the Michaelmus holidays.

Tuesday 8th   It blew very hard from the NW.  We continued chipping in the Oats on the hill.  Mr Witten & Frank came in the afternoon to look at the young pigs, he ordered two of them.  There was an election at the Hall to fill the vacancy on the Road Board caused by the death of Mr Mirehouse.  Mr Birdsall and Mr Neeley were the candidates they both got 12 votes, and the returning officer (John Wyatt) gave his casting vote in favour of Mr Neeley, he was therefore elected.  I went down to the Steamer in the evening.  Mr Lepper, Mr Savage & Mr Raynes came up in her.

Wednesday 9th  It was a fine day.  Charlie came in the morning and castrated our young pigs for us.  We continued chipping in Oats up on the hill.

Thursday 10th  It was a very fine day, wind from the SW.  We finished chipping in the Oats in the morning.  We commenced to dig for the Onions in the garden.
There was a dance in the Hall in the evening.

Friday 11th  Very fine day, Ground drying up fast.  We dug some ground the top side of the house & dug out the paths for the Onion beds on the ground we dug yesterday.

Saturday 12th  Very fine day.  We sowed 2 rows Veitch’s Perfection Peas 4 ft apart.
Maud went up to Pratts in the afternoon on the horse.

Sunday 13th  I went over to Dacre’s Claim in the morning intending to go to Church, but it came on to rain and rained all day.  I called at Mr Ashtons and staid for dinner, I returned in the afternoon when it cleared up.  Harry Rayner came in the evening and staid all night.

Monday 14th  It rained nearly all day, we could do nothing outside.  Mr & Mrs Walter called in the afternoon.

Tuesday 15th   It rained all day, we could do nothing out of doors.  Maud came home from Pratts in the afternoon.  Mr Joseph Greenwood came and took away one of the young pigs (a sow).

Wednesday 16th   It was a very fine day, but the ground is very wet & we could not touch it.  We erected a screen near the closet, to train passion fruit over.  Mrs A. Matheson1   sent and took away a young barrow pig.  We got the sheep into the pigs paddock in the evening.

Thursday 17th   It was a fine day.  We harrowed the ground in the pigs paddock in the morning.  Henry went to Matakana in the afternoon to get two spade handles.  John & I cleaned out the pigs & dug it in the ground under the dining room window.

Friday 18th  It was a fine day.  We cross ploughed the pig’s paddock with our bullocks.  Charlie came for tea.  I went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 19th   It was a fine day.  We finished ploughing the headland in the pigs paddock in the morning.  The Annual Meeting of Ratepayers was held in the Hall at noon, I went to it.
Mr H. Brown came up here to look at the young pigs & staid for tea.   Wm & A. Wright  came in the evening and took away a young pig they bought.

Sunday 20th   It was a fine day.  I rode over to Dacre’s Claim Church in the morning.  Minnie & Jane also walked over and spent the day at Mrs Hadwicks.
I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a very good congregation.  George Ashton and Charlie Wyatt were her for tea.

Monday 21st  It was a fine day.  Frank Witten came with two horses and a sleigh to take away the pigs his father bought, he also took two for Mr Henry Brown & one for James Bennett, we have only one left, a young sow which we are going to keep.
We cleared away the rubbish near the land slip and cleared out the drain.  I put a new handle on John’s spade.  Mr Rayner came for tea.  We got the Sheep up in the evening and folded them in Pig’s paddock.  We dug a few Potatoes the far side of the orchard, but they are not very large, they were planted on July 25th.

Thursday 22nd   It was a fine day.  We commenced to plant Negro Beans near the land slip, we scattered manure on the surface and dug it in, planted the beans in trenches with a sprinkle of bone dust.  We got the Sheep up in the evening & folded them in the pig’s paddock.
Wrote a letter to Mr T. Layburn ordering 300 lb Flour & 2 Woolpacks.  I enclosed £3.0.0 on account.  This letter was given to Mr Witten to deliver.  Took the Hams & Bacon out of salt and hung them up the chimney

Wednesday 23rd   We had some slight showers in the morning, but it cleared up & was a fine day.  Henry hauled a sack of Maize etc for Mr T. Knaggs in the morning.  I sowed 5 hills of Cucumber seed given me by Mr Ashton.  We commenced to plant Kumara in the ground that was in Water Melons last season, the runners we had given to us by Mr Joseph Greenwood. We got the Sheep up into the pigs paddock in evening.

Thursday 24th  It was a fine day.  We planted Nego Beans in the morning.  In the afternoon we planted Kumara runners 2 ft apart each way.  We finished earthing up all the Potatoes in the evening.  We folded the Sheep in the evening.

Friday 25th  It was a fine day.  We finished planting Negro Beans near the land slip, also finished planting Kumeras.
Went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 26th  It was a fine day.  Cleared out the sows sty in the morning and dug it in under the dining room window, also dug some ground the top side of the house.  I grafted an Apple tree in the farm orchard with the grafts that Mr J. B. Young of Papakura gave me. “Wagener”.  Sarah Pratt came up here from the skating and staid all night.

Sunday 27th  It was a very fine day.  Mr Boon preached in the Hall in the morning.  I read service in the afternoon.  Mr Pratt, Sarah and Willie  were her for dinner and tea & Tom Ashton was here for tea.

Monday 28th  It was a fine day.  The boys got the bullocks up in the morning and harrowed the pigs paddock, but we want rain to break to break the lumps.  We were digging the top side of the house.  Folded the Sheep in the pigs paddock in the evening.

Tuesday 29th  It was a fine day.  We finished digging the piece of ground the top side of the house.  We also dug in manure in the piece we are going to plant with Parsnips.

Wednesday 30th  It was a fine day.  John hauled up 3 bags of Flour & 2 Woolpacks for us, he also hauled some goods to Mrs Ross‘ at Dacre’s Claim & earned 5/-   Henry & I were working in the garden , we sowed 6 rows of James’ Intermediate Carrot & 4 rows of Short Horn, also 6 rows of Hollow crown Parsnips in drills 10½ inches apart.

Thursday 31st  It threatoned for rain in the morning, but it turned out a fine day.
Henry took a horse over to Warkworth for Mrs Mirehouse who came up by the “Rose Casey” and did not get home until late at night. We were working the ground fine and digging in manure for Parsnips the top side of the house.
Mr & Mrs Walter came to spend the evening.

There were only 4 wet days this month besides two or three slight showers.

1   Probably Mrs Jessie Matheson, wife of Angus Matheson, born 1834 or her daughter in law Mary Anne Haskell, wife of Alexander Matheson and born 1868