Monday 1st It was blowing very strong, accompanied with showers. Willie and I were mending up the fence round the farm orchard. Dan Kempt came to spend the evening.
Tuesday 2nd It was blowing still, but the showers were slighter. Packed a box of Eggs and hauled it down to the wharf – and hauled up an empty fowl crate and a bag of gravel. The “Rose Casey” got stuck on the sand spit going in to Big Omaha, and did not come in here this tide. We were digging in the orchard after we came up from the steamer.
Wednesday 3rd It was a fine day and the ground is drying up nicely. Willie & I were digging in the orchard all day. Jane rode to Ti Point and staid.
Thursday 4th It was a fine day. I took the bullock down to the village in the morning and got a bag of B & B manure from Harpers. Also hauled up the empty egg box. While I was down there I saw George Wyatt who came home last night from Te Araroa.
Willie and I were digging in the orchard in the morning and I in the afternoon. Willie went fishing to Ti Point and brought home a large schnapper.
Friday 5th It was a fine day. We got all the Sheep up in the morning.
Charlie Wyatt came to castrate and cut the Lambs tails.
They were as follows,
Wethers 29
Ewes 25
Total 54
There were two of Walter Frearsons Sheep in, one Wether which he took away and one Ewe which had a Lamb, and as we could not mother a Lamb on to her we marked a ewe lamb with his ear mark and left both of them in here, this lamb is in addition to those mentioned above.
The 20 Ewes I got from Jos Greenwood had 20 Lambs, although one of the Ewes got bogged in the barley paddock before lambing season.
Jane returned from Ti Point.
Saturday 6th It was fine in the morning. Walter Frearson got his Sheep up to tail them, Willie and I went over to his pen the other side of the hill, but there were none of our Sheep in. We planted 2 short rows of Cabbages (36 plants) in the orchard next the Peas, Jane got the plants from D. Knaggs. We were digging the far side of the orchard . It came on a dusty rain about 4 pm and it rained steadily all evening.
Sunday 7th It was a fine day. Revd G. Frost held service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a good congregation. I attended.
It came over a slight shower of rain about 5 pm.
Monday 8th It was a beautiful day, wind from the S. Willie and I were digging in the orchard all day. Jack Cruickshank and Miss Niccol were to be married at North Shore this morning, they were to come up to Matakana by the Kotute (?) this afternoon and there was to be a large party in the Public Hall this evening to celebrate the event, all the young people from here were invited. Jane rode over to Williams’s in the afternoon to go with Miss Williams.
Tuesday 9th It was a fine day. Willie and I were digging in the orchard far side. Mary Ann Pratt called in the morning.
George Wyatt came and staid for dinner. I paid him the £10 that I owed Henry.
We took the Eggs down to the Steamer in the afternoon and hauled up a Case of Kerosene and empty Egg Box. There was a Social in the Hall in the evening, we all went, Jane having returned from Matakana in the afternoon.
The sum of £2 . 17 . 0 was taken at the Hall for admission, it was the most successful socials we have had.
Wednesday 10th It was dull in the morning and looked like rain.
I took the bullock down to the wharf in the morning and hauled up a Sack of Maize. Willie and I were digging in the orchard all day. There were some showers in the afternoon and it settled into a steady rain in the evening.
Thursday 11th It was fine in the morning. We were digging in the orchard, finished digging below the bottom Apricot tree, and I commenced at the top Late Scarlet. It came on to rain again in the pm the same as yesterday, we had to leave off work, it rained very heavy.
Friday 12th It poured with rain last night and there was a flood in all the creeks. It was very showery during the day.
Mr Roose, traveller for the D.S.C called in the afternoon and staid all night, we gave him a small order.
Saturday 13th here was a heavy shower in the morning, afterwards it was a pretty fine day. I went down to the P.O in the morning for the mail and in the afternoon to Dunning’s beach to get some sand for the fowls. Willie went fishing to Ti Point.
Sunday 14th It was a beautiful day. Jane rode up to Pratts to spend the day. I read service in the Hall in the afternoon there was only a small congregation.
Monday 15th It was a beautiful day. Willie and I were digging in the middle of the orchard, we commenced at the B. Copoumont and Late Scarlet and dug downwards, we dug a large piece.
Tuesday 16th It was a very dull day. We dug round the top Beurre Deil and the small Vicar in the morning, but it came on to rain and we had to leave off.
We hauled our box of Eggs also Charlies down to the wharf and brought up one empty Egg box of ours and 2 for Charlie. The two Steamers came in, but it was very rough and there was a very heavy sea outside. It rained very heavily and we got wet through.
The Road Board accepted a Tender from John Wyatt for erecting a Shed on the Wharf for the sum of £39 –
Wednesday 17th It was very dull in the morning, and it had every appearance of a wet day, but it cleared up, the sun came out and the wind sprung up, which dried the ground. Willie and I were digging in the middle of the orchard, we dug round 2 Green Gages and 2 Orleans.
Jane rode over to Minnies and staid all night.
Thursday 18th It was a showery day. We made an attempt to dig in the orchard, but it came on to rain again and we had to knock off.
Jane returned from Ti Point in the evening.
Friday 19th There were a few showers in the morning, but it turned out a fine day. We were digging in the middle of the orchard, we dug round 6 trees. Miss Britton came in the afternoon and staid for tea.
Saturday 20th It threatened to rain all day, but the showers were very slight. We had 2 broods of chickens hatched.
We also set one Hen on 13 Eggs
I went down to the Library in the pm to change my book, also to the beach to get some black soil, afterwards I dug in the orchard.
There was a Dance at Pakiri in the evening, 13 persons went from here. Ernest Wyatt borrowed Emperess and Mrs A. Haskell borrowed Fanny.
Sunday 21st It was a beautiful day. Minnie, Joe and the baby came for dinner, they went home early as Joe wanted to start for Warkworth in the afternoon. I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was a fair congregation.
Monday 22nd It was a fine day, but the wind changed round to the NE and it has every appearance of rain . Willie and I were digging in the orchard, we finished digging in the middle of the orchard, and I cut a few pea sticks to stick the Peas that are growing in the orchard. Jane went down to help Maggie bake cakes &c for the Concert tomorrow night.
I set the old Wyandotte Hen on 13 Eggs – from Willie Savage’s.
Tuesday 23rd It was fine in the morning , but there were a few showers in the afternoon. I stuck the 2 rows of Peas in the orchard.
In the afternoon we hauled the box of Eggs down to the wharf and brought up 2 bags of B. & B. manure that came up by the Steamer. There was a concert in the Hall in the evening in aid of the Bible Class given by friends from Auckland who came up by the Rose and intend to return by her tomorrow morning. The concert was mostly of a Sacred character, Miss Brame is an accomplished pianist and Miss Strike a splendid violinist, and the singing was remarkably good, everyone enjoyed it very much, they also gave a good supper for the small charge of 1/- concert included. There would have been more there but the weather looked very threatening.
Ruth Dyer came over for the concert and came up here to stay.
Wednesday 24th We were digging out the convolvulus between the Potatoes. It came on to rain in the afternoon and we had to leave off.
Thursday 25th It was a very fine day. We commenced digging this side of the orchard at the Sea Eagle Peach working up this way.
Friday 26th There was a heavy shower of rain last night and also one early this morning, but it turned out a very fine day, the wind was blowing strong from the west. Willie and I were digging this side of the orchard all day, we got up to the first Golden Drop Plum and Damson. Jane and Ruth Dyer rode over to Ti Point to see Minnie. Jane returned in the evening, but Ruth stayed over there.
Saturday 27th It was a fine day. I was digging in the orchard in the morning. There was a meeting of the Road Board in the Hall in the pm. Willie went fishing to Ti Point and brought home 2 Schnappers and a few small Kawhais.
Jane and Ruth Dyer rode over to Big Omaha to the opening of the tennis season.
Sunday 28th It was a fine day. Jane and Ruth Dyer returned from Big Omaha about dinner time. Bert Britton returned with them and spent the day here and went down to church with us.
Mrs Dyer came over and took Ruth home in the afternoon.
I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was only a small attendance
Monday 29th It was a fine day, but the wind was blowing strong from NE. Willie and I were digging in the orchard all day.
The “Rose Casey” arrived at 8 pm Willie and I went down and I carried up a parcel of Drapery from the D. S. C. Mr Pirritt presented the Library with a rubber stamp and Mrs Henshaw presented the Library with 1 Doz Coloured Pictures. As we were coming up from the wharf it poured with rain and we took shelter in the Library until the heaviest was over, but we got very wet before we got home.
Tuesday 30th The wind was blowing very strong from NE. Willie and I took the box of Eggs down to the wharf in the morning and hauled up a Sack of Maize. We also went down again in the pm and hauled up a Sack of Potatoes and the empty Egg box.
Henry Brown came in the morning and bought 3 Steers of me for
£9 . 10 . 0 , he was here for dinner, also Mary Ann Pratt and Rupert and Horace. and Annie Matheson was here for tea.
Wednesday 31st It was blowing very strong from SW – but otherwise it was a fine day. Willie and I were digging all day – we finished the piece the other side of the gully near the Coes Late Red and Beurre Bose – in the morning. In the afternoon we commenced digging the piece that was in Peas last year.
Mr Jenkins of Komokoriki came to take the Agricultural Statistics.
Memo’
The Fowls laid 1032 Eggs
= to 86 Doz value £2 . 3 . 0