September 1895

Sunday 1st   There were a few showers last night, but it turned out a fine day.  Revd R. McKinney  held service in the Hall in the morning.
The Miss Hardings came here for dinner and to spend the day.  We went for a walk down to the Cemetry in the pm.  Jim Dunning came here for tea.

Monday 2nd   It was dull and a few showers.    I was pruning in the orchard    John & I dug up a piece of ground in the E.R.  It is very loose and we are thinking of trying a few Potatoes there.

Tuesday 3rd   It was dull and showery, I was pruning in the orchard. John was cutting tea tree in the front.  Henry sent us up a parcel containing Garden Seeds, Boots etc.
There was a meeting in the Hall in the evening to consider the Local Government Bill,  I did not go.

Wednesday 4th   It was fine in the morning tho’ dull, but it was showery in the pm and there was steady rain in the evening.
John was cutting tea tree in the front.  I planted a Passion Fruit near the closet.  I also sowed seeds of the following.
Red Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  Manchester Defiance Cabbage,  &  Tomato, in boxes near the closet.

Thursday 5th   Everything was very wet with the rain last night, but it was a fine day and very hot in the pm.  In the morning I went down to Mathesons Paddock to see if there were any sheep in,  I also mended up the fence between Haskells and our place.
In the afternoon I pruned trees.  John was cutting tea tree in the front.

Friday 6th   It was fine in the morning but there were some heavy showers in the afternoon.  I was pruning trees, John was cutting tea tree.

Saturday 7th   It was showery all day, but fine between the showers.  I was pruning trees in the orchard.  John was cutting tea tree in the front.

Sunday 8th   It was a fine day.  The Salvationists held a service in the Hall in the morning, John went, Dan Kempt came up with him and had dinner here.
I read service in the Hall in the afternoon,  Miss Fordham played the Harmonium in the absence of her sister, Miss Clara Fordham.

Monday 9th   It was a fine day.  I was pruning trees in the orchard. John was cutting tea tree in the front.

Tuesday 10th   It was a fine day.  John went on to Point Rodney to look for the bullocks to haul a crate of fowls for Mr Harvey down to the wharf, but he could not find them, so they must have gone up on to the mail road, therefore Joe Wyatt carried the crate down to the wharf.   I was pruning in the morning, in the afternoon I started to plant Potatoes at the bottom of orchard, but the ground was too wet so I had to knock off.
Mrs Captain Pain of the Salvation Army held a meeting in the Hall in the evening to explain the rescue work, the young people went to it.

Wednesday 11th   It rained very hard accompanied by heavy thunder in the morning.  John & I mended up the fence between the farm and the barley paddock.  It cleared up in the afternoon and the wind began to blow from the SW.

Thursday 12th   It was a fine day.  John & I planted 10 rows of Kidney Potatoes in the E.R.  2 ft 6 in apart, we sowed Fison Fertilizer & Bone Dust in the trenches.  About 38 lbs of seed Potatoes were used.
In the afternoon we sprinkled Bone Dust round the Cabbage plants and loosened the ground between.

Friday 13th   It was a fine day.  John was cutting tea tree in the front.  I was digging up ground between the two lots of Cabbages, to plant Onions.  John & Minnie went to a dance at Dacres Claim in the evening.  I went down for the mail and then up to the Library.

Saturday 14th   It was a fine day.  John was cutting tea tree in the front.  I sowed seed of the following kinds near the closet.  Parsley, celery, Chilli, Lettuce & Radish.   I also finished planting Potatoes at the bottom of the orchard.
I took a walk to the Goat Island in the afternoon.  John & Jane went to a dance at Pakiri in the evening.

Sunday 15th   It was a fine day.  Mr Savage commenced a Bible Class in the Hall in the morning.  I read service in the Hall in the pm.  Walter Frearson was here for tea.  I set a hen in the evening with 13 eggs.

Monday 16th    It was a fine day.  John & I dug up the piece of ground the top side of the house.  We got up all the Parsnips and stored them under the house, we then commenced to dig up the ground they came out of commencing at the path and working toward the fence.  We manured some trenches for beans etc.

Tuesday 17th   It was a fine day.   We finished digging the piece of ground that the Parsnips came out of, after we had finished that we dug near the Quince tree.
John received a letter from Henry who is now in Sydney.
The Miss Hardings were here for tea.

Wednesday 18th   It was thick and misty with fine rain in the morning, but it cleared off and turned out a fine day.  John was cutting tea tree & I was lime washing some Pear Tress the far side of the orchard.  In the afternoon we beat down and planted 2 Rows Broard  Widnsoh  Beans.

Thursday 19th   It was a fine day.   We got the loan of Charlie Wyatts cultivator and brought it up in the morning, John harnessed his horse to it and worked it in the orchard between the trees,  also ran it twice through the piece of ground we are getting ready for Onions etc.  We sowed 1 row of Veitch Perfection Peas.
Mr Noton called, but we did not give him an order.  We all went to tea at Miss Hardings and spent a very pleasant evening.

Friday 20th   The wind was blowing strong from the N.  We sowed another row of Veitch Perfection Peas in the morning we then beat down the ground and dug in manure & bone dust in the piece intended for Onions.  It came on the rain in the evening.

Saturday 21st   It was showery.  John was cutting tea tree in the front.  Willie & I carried out the Apple trees that John cut down yesterday.

Sunday 22nd   There were several showers but fine & warm between the showers .  I read service in the Hall in the pm.  Mabel & Albert Wyatt were here for tea.

Monday 23rd   It was very dull in the morning, John & I went cutting tea tree, but it came on the rain and we had to return home, it cleared up in the afternoon & was very fine,  we went tea tree cutting again.

Tuesday 24th   It rained heavily in the morning, but it cleared up enough so that John & I could cut tea tree which we did, both morning and afternoon.  There was no School.

Wednesday 25th   There were a few showers during the day.  John & I went down to cut tea tree in the front, but I broke my slasher handle and had to come home, so I whitewashed  some of the fruit trees the far side of the orchard.
Walter & George Wyatt  (who came over from the Kawau in the Steamer “Kawau” early this morning)  came here and staid for dinner.  They want us to haul out their firewood at the Kawau.  John to go over and take the bullocks, we have agreed to do it for 1/- per ton.  John mended up the catamaran in the afternoon.  Walter was here for tea.

Thursday 26th   It was a fine day and the ground has dried up a lot.  John went up the hill on his horse to bring the bullocks down, but he could not find Simon, but he brought the other three down , also the heifer Primrose who has calved a red Bull Calf.
Mr Trotter came and bought the Steer “Lively”  of me paying
£4 . 10 . 0 by Cheque.
I lime washed some trees in the morning, hoed between the Cabbages and dug against the Golden drop Plums.
The Captain and Mate of the cutter Watchman came in the evening, they want a load of firewood for the cutter.  They staid the evening and had a game of cards.

Friday 27th   It was a fine day.  John & George Wyatt went up the hill to look for Simon, but could not find him.  We took Prince & Redman down to the beach in the afternoon & loaded the cutter Watchman, hauling the wood out to her we did not get finished until past 10 oclock at night.
The Steamer “Kawau” called in in the afternoon and took John Wyatt,  Walter,  George  & Honour to the Kawau.

Saturday 28th   It rained last night and all today, it is the most rain we have had at one time all the winter.  We were unable to do any work out of doors.

Sunday 29th   It rained nearly all day.  I went up to Mr Neeleys in the morning to enquire if he had seen anything of Simon, but he had not.  I staid for dinner.  John went up on to the mail road to look for Simon but he returned without finding him.
Revd J.  Law   should have conducted service in the Hall in the afternoon but on account of the wet weather he did not come, so there was no service.

Monday 30th   The weather was much finer, but there were a few showers, the wind which is from the SW is drying up the ground.
John went up on to the mail road and found Simon and brought him home, he then helped Mr Trotter with the cattle he has bought going as far as Matakana with him .