October 1895

Tuesday 1st   It was a fine day.  In the morning I was picking up manure and putting it on to the heap and doing other odd jobs.  John was cutting tea tree all day and I was working with him in the pm.

Wednesday 2nd   It was a fine day.  The Michaelmas holidays commence today, the Miss hardings went to Auckland in the Steamer.  Mr Schollum sent the Cutter Etta White for a load of firewood, we are going to load her tomorrow morning.  John got the bullocks up and we yoked them all up including the young pair of steers, Spider & Sam to break them in, and lead them round the paddock,  After that John hauled a load of firewood up to the Teachers house  also hauled some firewood for our own use down from the hill.  Mrs Alex matheson was here for dinner.
in the afternoon we sowed in the garden,
1   row  Red Beet
2   row  Brown Spanish Onion
5   row  Brown Globe Onion

Thursday 3rd  It was a fine day.  We sowed a few rows of Onions and then we took the bullocks down to the beach and loaded the Cutter Ettie White.  We put about 25 Tons on board.  4½  Tons of this belongs to Henry.

Friday 4th   It was a fine day, wind blowing from the SW.
We got the Sheep up in the morning, we cut the Lambs and cleaned the Sheep.  The Lambs were as follows
Ewes              14
Whethers    20
Total               34
We left one Lamb on the farm that we could not get in .
Sowed the remainder of the Onions,  4 rows Early Horn Carrot  & 1 Row Turnips 

Saturday 5th   It was a fine day.  We cut up the Sheep in the morning.  We harnessed up John’s horse and worked the cultivator in the orchard.

Sunday 6th   It was very fine in the morning, but it came over cloudy and in the evening it rained a little.  I rode to Dacres Claim in the morning to service, Revd J. Haselden preached.  There were over 50 present 13/6 collected and Mrs Thos Birdsalls child baptized.  Mr Haseldon rode home with me to dinner and he held service in this hall in the pm.  There were over 60 present  & 16/9 collected .  Mrs Jos  &  Jno Greenwoods children were baptized.  Mr Haselden rode on to Pakiri to hold service in the evening.

Monday 7th   There were several showers during the day.  George Ashton came here to do up the front bedroom for us.  We commenced to scarify in the orchard, but we had to leave off on account of the rain.   Commenced the 2nd Sack of Flour.

Tuesday 8th   There were several showers during the day.  We were working with the cultivator in the orchard, but the horse ran away and broke the harness so we had to leave off.
George Ashton finished the front bed room and went home in the evening.  There was a Dance in the Hall in the evening, the young people went to it.

Wednesday 9th   It was very showery.   John & I went down to the Wharf and hauled up with the horse a case Kerosene and a box of Groceries that came up in the Steamer last night.  In the afternoon we dug round the trees the far side of the orchard.  We had a pig up by the Steamer from Angove,

Thursday 10th   There were several showers.  John & I were digging round the trees in the orchard.

Friday 11th    It was a fine day, wind blowing from the SW, which is drying up the ground.  John & I were digging  in the orchard.  We ran the cultivator through the piece of ground the top side of the house.  John got Prince & Redman out of the E.R and took the four Bullocks down to the beach and hauled up the catamaran and took it down to the Wharf.
Jane went up to Miss Hardings in the afternoon & staid for tea.  I went to the Library in the evening and called at Miss Hardings and brought Jane home.

Saturday 12th   It was a fine day.  The SS. Kawau came in about 9.30 and took John, the four bullocks  and the catamaran to the Kawau where John is going to haul out firewood for Walter Wyatt.   I was levelling the path leading to the front gate.
The Cutter Watchman came in for a load of firewood, but as the bullocks are gone away I told them they could have a load of Henry’s wood if they put it on board themselves,  Mr Schollum agreeing to pay 3/9 per ton for it.

Sunday 13th   It was a beautiful day.  I read service in the Hall in the pm.  There was only a small congregation.  No organist, Miss Evelyn Greenwood led the singing.
Alec Haskell & Miss Sullivan came up here for tea.  Minnie went over to Mr Woods service at Dacres Claim in the evening.

Monday 14th   It was a beautiful day .  I was fixing the Kerb to the path leading to the front gate in the morning.  I went down to the beach in the pm and helped pitch the wood down to load the Watchman.
Minnie rode up the hill to see Maud and spent the day up there.

Tuesday 15th   It was a fine day.  I was digging in the orchard all day.  I went down to the Steamer in the evening.

Wednesday 16th  It was a fine day.  Willie had a bad cold and did not go to school.  I was digging in the orchard all day.

Thursday 17th    It was very fine in the morning, but there were a few showers in the afternoon.  I finished digging the piece of ground near the Honeysuckle.  I made a bed near the closet and sowed Macrocarpa Seed and covered tea tree over it.  I also sowed seeds of the following,  Chilli,  Lettuce,  Radish,  Cauliflower,  Manchester Defiance Cabbage  &  Celery.   I commenced to make a hot bed to raise Kumera plants in .

Friday 18th   It was a fine day.  I finished the hotbed for the Kumeras and planted them.  I levelled the flower garden leading up to the front gate.  I went down for the mail in the evening, there was a letter from Henry who is in Melbourne.  There was a social at Pakiri given by the bachelors, Minnie went.

Saturday 19th   It was dull in the morning, I was working in the flower garden.  It rained in the afternoon, but cleared up afterwards.  I went down to the E.R. and moulded up the Potatoes that are planted there.

Sunday 20th   There were several showers during the day, but it was fine enough to hold service in the Hall in the afternoon.  There was a pretty fair congregation, Miss Harding presided at the harmonium.  The Miss Hardings came here for tea.   Jane was very bad so Minnie staid.

Monday 21st   It was a very fine day.   Jane was in bed all day so Minnie staid here.  Willie helped me get som pea sticks and I stuck the two rows of Peas.
Minnie went up to Miss Hardings in the evening.  I wrote a letter each to John & Henry to send away tomorrow.

Tuesday 22nd   It was a fine day.  I was hoeing amongst the Potatoes at the bottom of the orchard and digging the top side of the house.  I went down to the Steamer in the evening ,  and  Miss Hardings came up here to see how Jane was.

Wednesday 23rd   It rained last night but it was very fine today.
I was hoeing  the Potatoes at the bottom of the orchard and also digging the top side of the house.

Thursday 24th   It was a fine day.  I was digging the top side of the house.  Cleaned out the calves place put it round one of the Peach trees in the orchard and dug round it, also round a green gage tree.  Commenced to dig near the bee hive.

Friday 25th   It was fine in the morning.  I was hoeing the Potatoes at the bottom of the orchard.  It thundered and rained very heavy in the afternoon.

Saturday 26th   It was a showery day, the ground was too wet to dig.  I did odd jobs.   There was to have been a meeting of the Show Committee in the Hall in the evening, I went down but there was no one there.

Sunday 27th   It cleared up and was a fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a fair congregation.

Monday 28th   It was a fine day.  Minnie & I rode over to Mr Matthew’s at Matakana, we got a lot of bulbs and flower cuttings  from Mr Chas Matthewss garden.  The roads were very heavy and it appears they have had a lot of rain over there.

Tuesday 29th   It was a fine day.  Minnie & I were working in the flower garden.  Did odd jobs through remainder of the day.
Henry returned from his trip to Australia by the Steamer in the evening.  Jim Dunning came up here with Henry and staid for tea. There was a Dance in the Hall in the evening,  the young people went to it .

Wednesday 30th   The Rose Casey made a cheap excursion trip to and from Auckland this morning carrying passengers to the Auckland Cattle Show, 17 passengers went up in her, Henry & Minnie went down to see them off.  It was a fine day, but it looked very threatening for rain.  Henry & I were digging between the trees near the land slip in this orchard.

Thursday 31st   It was fine in the morning.  Henry & I were digging between the American Golden Russet trees.   It poured with rain in the afternoon.