Thursday 1st It was a very fine day. Willie was clearing the grass off the ground in the farm orchard preparatory to digging it up to plant in pumpkins. Although my back was bad I dug up the round bed, burying rubbish, manure, bone dust & sand in the trenches. In the evening I got the mail & attd the Library.
Friday 2nd It was a very fine day. Willie was working in the farm orchard. In the morning I sowed 2 clumps of Zinias and then cut tea tree on the hill. In the afternoon I went down when the steamer arrived from Auckland. There was good news from the seat of war. Lord Kitchener thinks that the war will not last much longer.
Saturday 3rd It was a very fine day. I was working in the flower garden, I dug the piece of ground near the wire netting fence where I am going to plant sweet peas, also sowed seeds of Victoria Asters.
In the pm I got firewood. Willie dug in the farm orchard in the morning, cleaned the sulky in the pm and went to a meeting in the Hall in the evening to see if they would have a Show in the autumn, they decided to hold the Show as usual.
Sunday 4th It was a very hot day. In the morning I walked over to the Claim, had dinner at Jim’s and in the afternoon Jane & I went to service in the Claim Hall. Revd Spiers the Methodist minister who is taking Mr Sims’ place officiated and made a very good impression. After church I walked on to Bowden Birdsalls to take Elsie some plants, on my way I met young Mr Addison and he went along with me, we had tea there and had a look round and we walked home in the moonlight. Willie, Grace & Mrs Simpson drove up to Arthur Greenwoods to spend the day.
Monday 5th It was rather a dull day. I was working in the flower garden. I dug and beat down the strip next to the wire netting fence for Sweat Peas. I transplanted a Cream Daisy that Elsie Birdsall gave me, also a Pink Geranium & a Michaelmas Daisy.
In the afternoon I went down to the wharf when the steamer arrived, got the mail and carried up some sand. Willie was digging in the farm orchard.
Tuesday 6th It was a fine day, but dull. In the morning I was working in the flower garden, I planted out six Caliofesis Dummondi. In the afternoon I planted a row of Schalottes in the farm orchard. Willie was digging there.
Wednesday 7th It was a dull day. Willie was digging in the farm orchard. I was digging there & getting firewood. Minnie & Alma were here for dinner. In the pm I went down to the beach, sieved sand & carried it to wharf. Got the mail.
Thursday 8th It was a very hot day. I was working in the flower garden. I watered the round bed, then beat it down and pointed it over.
I planted 22 Sweet Alyssium plants on the outside edge of the bed and 21 Pansy plants next to them & 6 Cornflower plants in the centre.
Went down for the mail and attended the Library in the evening, there was a meeting of Ratepayers in the Hall called by Mr Murray for the purpose of forming a Ratepayers Association. There were not many Ratepayers present but an Association was formed and I was put on the Committee.
Friday 9th It was a very fine day. Willie’s horse (Priua) got out of the barley paddock last night and he was looking for it all day without finding it.
I was working in the flower garden, I planted some Pansy plants in the long bed. Mrs C. Wyatt & Mrs G Wyatt & Mr Torkington were here in the afternoon, Mr Torkington staid for tea and he and I went down for the mail in the evening.
Saturday 10th It was a fine day, sunny in the morning, but dull in the pm. Wind from NE, slight indication of rain. In the morning Willie found his horse at D. Mathesons and brought it home before dinner. In the pm he and Grace went fishing in this harbour and brought home some small rock cods.
After breakfast I went down to the village to post a letter to E. Yates ordering some young flower plants. After I came home I prepared the edge of the long bed by digging in manure, bone dust and sand and then I planted 29 Pansy plants, yesterday I planted 15 and there are 21 planted in the round bed – Total 65 Pansy plants.
Later in the afternoon I got firewood the other side of the hill.
Sunday 11th It was a fine day. Revd Macdonald held service in the Hall in the afternoon, all of us went, congregation 45. Collection 11/3. Duncan Knaggs walked up with us after the service and had a look round the orchard, but he did not stay for tea.
Monday 12th There were several small showers in the morning but not sufficient to do much good. I was working in the flower garden all day. I planted out alongside the wire netting fence 29 Sweet Pea plants that I raised in beef tins, I also sowed some Sweat Pea seed.
In the pm I was preparing places for plants that I have ordered from Yates.
Willie was digging in the farm orchard and in the evening he went down for the mail and brought up a parcel of seedling plants for me which I had ordered from Yates’ by last Saturday’s mail.
Tuesday 13th It was a fine day. Willie was digging in the farm orchard. I was planting the seedling plants that I received last night, namely 6 Scarlet Salvias, 6 Aquilegias. 4 Delphinians, 5 Penstemon. 6 Mimumulus. 16 Phlox. Grace sowed some Sunflower seeds blow below the wire netting fence.
Wednesday 14th It was a very fine day. After breakfast I went down to the village to get a P.O. Order for £5.0.0 to send to Mr Goertz as our half yearly guarantee to the Anglican church funds, called at Mr Gravatts. After I came home I sowed seeds of Blue Larkspur near the summer house. In the afternoon I commenced to stick the Peas in the farm orchard. Willie was digging in the farm orchard all day.
Thursday 15th It commenced to rain in the middle of the night and rained steadily until after we were up, but the rain was not very heavy and has not moistened the roughly dug ground, and there were a few slight showers during the day. Willie planted some Pumpkins in the farm orchard.
The “Kawau” made a round trip to day. I went down to meet her in the pm and Willie carried down a box of Eggs. I brought up a bag of sand.
I also went down to the village in the evening to get the mail and to attend the Library. There was a meeting of the Show Committee in the evening. Willie who is a member attended.
I sowed seeds of 4 varieties of Jarmans Cornflower in the same box that I grew the others in.
Friday 16th It was a fine day and very calm. In the morning I went to the farm orchard, got some more pea sticks and finished sticking the second row of Peas and afterwards I dug up between the rows.
After dinner Willie & I went down to the wharf when the steamer arrived got the mail, carried up some sand. After I came home I planted out several Caliopsis Drummondi near the summer house, after that I cut the grass under the eve of the lower side of the house and put the Dahlia roots there to shoot. Willie was digging in the farm orchard.
Saturday 17th It was fine in the morning. In the morning Willie was digging in the farm orchard, in the afternoon he went fishing. In the morning I pricked out young seedling plants into boxes of the following. Quilled Asters, Ten-week Stock & 4 varieties of Wallflowers.
In the afternoon I gathered a bunch of flowers and walked over to the Claim, the opening of the Tennis season was held on the courts in the Domain, a general invitation was given and a great number attended, soon after I got there it came over very black and it commenced to rain and continued all evening, we had to adjourn to the Hall for tea at 4.30, at 6.30 they commenced dancing and kept it up till 11.30 pm. I staid at Jim’s, we left the Hall at 11 pm.
Sunday 18th It rained during the night and early this morning, but cleared up later in the morning, the wind changed round to SW and blew strong. We had an early dinner and Charlie Dunning gave me a ride home in the cream cart as far as his place, when I arrived home I found that Grace & Willie had gone out in the sulky first to
H. Torkingtons and then to Jim’s. After I got home I went to Mr Glass’, had a look round his orchard and staid there for tea.
Monday 19th It was a very fine day. Wind SE. Willie was flat hoeing between the Potatoes in the garden & in the pig’s paddock, I was loosening & breaking lumps round the potatoes & round the young apple trees. I got firewood, also soil from the other side of the hill, planted 2 Verbenas. Went down to the wharf in the afternoon when the steamer arrived, 2 big horses and a dray came down for Archie Dunning to be used on his contract for carting metal.
Tuesday 20th It was a very fine day. In the morning I was helping Willie loosening the ground between the Potatoes we finished them before dinner.
In the afternoon Willie took the horse down to the wharf and hauled us 2 Sks of fowl feed that came yesterday.
I sowed a row of Sweat Peas near the summer house, also seeds of 10 Week Stock pot saved seed. Planted out 6 Caliopsis, 2 Verbenas, 1 Light Pelargoniums, 1 Double Pink Godetia, 1 Dimiophotheca.
Wednesday 21st It was a very fine day. Willie was digging in the farm orchard in the morning, I was writing letters and afterwards I went to the farm orchard to help Willie dig out sorrell. In the afternoon Willie took his butter & eggs down to the steamer. I also went down & sieved some sand and Willie hauled it up for me.
Grace & Willie went to Mr Glass in the evening.
Thursday 22nd It was a fine day, but the wind blowing strong from SW.
After breakfast I walked up to Mr Murrays to have a talk with him, staid for lunch. Willie was digging in the farm orchard. In the evening I went down for the mail & attended the Library. There was a meeting of the Show Committee, also Tennis do. Willie attended the former.
Friday 23rd It was a very fine day. In the morning I got firewood and then I was helping Willie dig in the farm orchard. In the afternoon I sowed a row of Major Convolvulus next the wire netting fence, went down to the wharf in the evening when the “Kawau” arrived from Auckland and got the mail.
Saturday 24th It was a very fine day. Willie was digging in the farm orchard all day. In the morning I sowed a row of Dun Beans in the farm orchard. In the afternoon I cleaned up the summer house, cut the grass on the paths and did a lot of straightening up.
Sunday 25th It was a fine day, but dull. Mr & Mrs A. Greenwood & children, Mrs Simpson, Harold, Flo & children came to spend the day. Young Mr Addison came in the afternoon to have a look round, and he staid tea. A Mr Campbell, Presbyterian student, held service in the Hall both morning and evening. I attended both services, & Mr Addison accompanied me in the evening.
Monday 26th It was a very fine day. Willie was digging in the farm orchard all day. I was working there also and sowed a 3rd row of Stratagem Peas.
Tuesday 27th It was very hot in the morning, but dull in the afternoon, anyone would think it was going to rain, but the wind is in a good quarter SW, rain very much wanted. Willie was digging in the farm orchard all day. I made a heap to burn soil near the summer house to prepare the ground for Dahlias.
Wednesday 28th It was very hot in the morning, dull in the afternoon and there was some light rain in the evening. In the morning Willie was digging in the farm orchard. I took out a lot of the burnt soil that I burned yesterday near the summer house spread the remainder and dug the whole of the piece over.
In the afternoon Willie went down to the village to do some business at the Post Office, I also went down, took a bunch of roses to Percy Laycoek for his wife, I carried up some sand.
There was no steamer to day, only the blacksmith & butcher being here.
Harold T was in the village so I changed his Library books.
Thursday 29th There was a misty rain last night and hail this morning, cleared up and was a fine day. Willie was digging in the farm orchard in the morning, I earthed up the 4 rows of Potatoes next the onions. Grace walked to Ti Point in the morning and came back in the steamer. In the afternoon I went down and carried it over to the wharf and Willie hauled it home for me. The Steamer made a round trip to day. In the evening there was a meeting of ratepayers to chose a candidate to represent this riding in the County Counsel. Mr Alexander Matheson was chosen.
Friday 30th It was fine in the morning. In the morning I helped Willie finish digging the farm orchard. In the afternoon I went down for the mail which came by the steamer. I carried up a bag of sand. After I got home it came on a steady rain and it rained all evening.
Saturday 31st It rained heavily last night and blew very strong from NW, but it was a very fine to day. The rain did a lot of good but the wind did a lot of damage by smashing a lot of my flower plants and I was busy in clearing away the wreckage. I borrowed a hoe of Charlie Wyatt and helped Willie mould up the Potatoes in the pig’s paddock, the ground worked very well after the rain and we finished them before dinner.
In the afternoon I sowed a row of Canadian Wonder Beans in the farm orchard also sowed a hill of Vegetable Marrows where the potatoes missed in the pigs paddock. Willie went fishing in the afternoon to Ti Point and brought home some nice schnappers & Kawhais.