October 1896

Thursday 1st   It was a showery day.  Willie & I were pulling up tea tree in the barley paddock.

Friday 2nd   It was fine during the day, but there was a heavy shower in the evening.  Willie & I were pulling up tea tree and digging up briers in the barley paddock.  We killed a Sheep in the evening.

Saturday 3rd   It was a fine day and the ground is drying up well,  I set the speckled hen on 13 of our own eggs in the yard.  I was painting the Apple Trees in this orchard with Paralyside.    There was a meeting of the Show Committee at Harpers in the evening,
A. Matheson consented to act as Secretary.  There was also a meeting in the Hall,  Mr C. E. Leeds of Matakana came to explain the late Banking  Legislation.  John did not come home this evening.

Sunday 4th   It was a very fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon.

Monday 5th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few showers.
I was loosening amongst the Potatoes at the bottom of the orchard.  Also cutting wood in the barley paddock

Tuesday 6th    It was a fine day.  I packed 18 Sheep Skins and hauled them down to the Wharf with the young bullocks,  I also hauled up 1 Bag of Flour and 1 Bag of Bone Dust and Blood manure from Harpers.   I went down to the Steamer in the evening and carried 3 parcels of Drapery that came from the D. S. C.
The Miss Hardings returned from Auckland after the Michaelmas holidays.

Wednesday 7th   It was a fine day.   School re-commenced to day.
Robert Wyatt was married to Miss Clara Savage by the RevdJ. W. Worboys at the residence of Charlie Wyatts,  John came from Tomarata and we all went to it, most of the relations were there besides several friends.  Everything was very nicely carried out and we spent a very pleasant day.  I came home in the afternoon to milk, but the young people staid the evening.

Thursday 8th   It was a cold showery day.  I was earthing up the Potatoes in the E. R.

Friday 9th   There were several showers during the day.   We commenced to scarify in the orchard with the young bullocks.  We sheared a wether and then killed it afterwards, the fleece weighed
8 lbs .

Saturday 10th   It was a fine day and a drying wind blowing.  Jack and I were scarifying in the orchard in the morning, we had an early dinner and John and the girls rode over to Big Omaha to witness a Cricket Match.  I sowed a row of Strategem Peas above the house in the afternoon, also loosened the ground between the Broad Beans.

Sunday 11th   It was a fine day.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon.  Mr Jos Greenwood came here for tea.

Monday 12th   It was a fine day.  We were using the cultivator in the orchard with the bullocks.

Tuesday 13th   It was a fine day.   We were useing the cultivator in the orchard.  I went down to the Steamer in the evening.  Revd Worboys preached in the Hall in the evening.

Wednesday 14th   It was a fine day.   We dug a piece of ground the top side of the house for onions.  In the afternoon I made a hotbed near the closet where I planted the Kumeras to make shoots.

Thursday 15th   It was a fine day.   We beat the piece of ground we dug yesterday, hoed it and dug in stockyard manure and B & B  and sowed 4 rows Onions (Brown Spanish) and 2 rows of Short Horn Carrots, we also manured a trench for Peas .  In the evening I went to Mr A. Mathesons to hand over to him the books and balance of Cash belonging to the Show.

Friday 16th   It was a fine day.   We got all the Sheep up in the morning, we cleaned all those that needed, we tailed Lambs as follows.
Ewes              2
Wether        1
Total              3

We sheared the 6 Wethers remaining from those we got from Jos Greenwood and 4 of our own Wethers.  We afterwards killed one of them and put the remainder into the horse paddock.
While we were shearing Mr Cooke Sheep Inspector called and had a look at our Sheep.
In the evening I received the returns from the N.Z. Loan & Mercantile Co for the 18 Sheep Skins that I sent up last Tuesday week.
SheepOct1896

Besides keeping more than a quarter for our own use every killing.

Saturday 17th   There was a misty rain, but nothing sufficient to wet the ground.  John got the harrow from C. Wyatts and harrowed the ground in the orchard where we have scarified it.  It brought all the Sorrel roots up to the surface and we forked them into heaps.
They commenced to practice in the Race Course in the afternoon , John went down and joined the club.  Minnie rode to Pakiri in the afternoon to stay at Mrs Salts.  I sowed 1 row of Stratagem Peas the top side of the house.  There was a meeting of the Road Board in the evening.

Sunday 18th   It was a fine day, black clouds passed over, but there was no rain.  John went up to Mauds to spend the day.  Minnie returned from Pakiri.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a good congregation.  Jim Dunning was here for tea.

Monday 19th    It was a fine day.   I went down to the E.R. and finished moulding up the Potatoes.  Minnie was helping John burn the heaps of sorrel roots in the orchard.  In the afternoon we got the bullocks up and scarified the orchard cross ways,  we sowed B & B manure round the trees beforehand.

Tuesday 20th   It was a fine day, very hot in the middle of the day.  Dug manure in a piece of ground the top side of the house in the morning, and in the evening I planted a row of 12 plants of Tomatoes that I got at Harpers.  I also planted the two Choko’s in manured ground near the closet.
We were scarifying in the orchard both morning and afternoon.
I went down to the village  in the evening.  Miss Saigent came up by the Steamer to stay with the Miss Hardings.

Wednesday 21st   A little rain fell last night but not enough to do much good.  We finished scarifying in this orchard near the Damson trees first thing in the morning, we then mouldered up the Potatoes at the bottom of the orchard.  In the afternoon we took the cultivator over to the farm orchard and scarified between the Pear and Damson trees .  John and the girls went up to Miss Hardings to spend the evening.

Thursday 22nd   It was a fine day.   We were digging round the Pear and other trees in this orchard sowing B & B round them first.

Friday 23rd   It was a fine day.   We yoked up Darby & Joe to break them in and put them behind the other bullocks and hauled two loads of tea tree firewood for the house.   In the afternoon we dug round the trees in the orchard.  Killed a Sheep in the evening.  Sarah Wyatt returned with Jane from Pakiri and staid here for dinner.

Saturday 24th   It rained heavy last night, which has softened the ground.  I planted out 50 cabbage plants the top side of the house.  In the afternoon I rode over to Big Omaha to meet Dawson Birdsall to lay out some Road Board work.  I went up to Mr Birdsalls and had tea there.

Sunday 25th   It was fine in the morning.  I went down to John Wyatts.  John & Willie went out a ride.  I pulled some Turnips from the E.R. first time which we had for dinner.  George Wyatt was here.  I went down to the Hall in the afternoon, but it was showery and as there were so few there, I held no service.  The Miss Hardings and Miss Saigent came here for tea, and C. Gravatt came in the evening.

Monday 26th   It was very showery in the morning.  I was scrimming in the passage.  In the afternoon John & I dug where the Peas were last year.  John Wyatt came in the pm to look at the room that he is going to do up, and he staid for tea.

Tuesday 27th   It was a fine day, but there were a few showers.  John Wyatt came here in the morning and commenced to work at the front room which was the girls bedroom, which we are going to turn into a drawing room.
We commenced to dig in the  farm orchard round the Orlean Plums, we gave them a dressing of about 10lbs of B.B manure each.
There was a dance in the Hall in the evening, the young people went to it.

Wednesday 28th   It was a showery day.  John went up to mail road to hunt up Symon and Gilbert, and he brought them down in the afternoon and put them into the horse paddock.  Willie & I took the young bullocks down to the store and got 2 bags of Bone Dust, also some gravel from the wharf beach.
Afterwards I dug in the farm orchard.  John Wyatt was working here doing up the front room .
There was a party of young people here in the evening.

Thursday 29th   It was a very squally day, wind blowing very strong from SW.  John and I were digging in the farm orchard all day – and we finished digging the piece under the Orlean Plums.  John Wyatt was working here doing up the front room .

Friday 30th   It was a fine day but the wind was blowing strong from the SW.   I sowed seeds of Manchester Defiance Cabbage, Cauliflower, Red Cabbage, Lettuce, Radishes and Tomato that Henry sent from Australia .  We commenced to dig up the piece of ground under the dining room window.
Mr Chas Gardener, a candidate for Waitemata held a meeting in the Hall in the evening.

Saturday 31st   It was a fine day .  We finished digging the piece of ground under the dining room window, we then scarified it, also the piece near the pigs paddock gate.  In the afternoon I was beating lumps down and other odd jobs.  George Wyatt was here for tea and staid all night.