September 1897

Wednesday 1st  There was some heavy rain during the day.
I was confined to bed with a bad back.  I got up a little in the evening.

Thursday 2nd   A showery day.  I was still in bed with my back.  Got up for a little while in the evening.

Friday 3rd   A very wet day.  I was still confined to my bed.  Got up a little in the evening .  We did not kill a Sheep.  Jane went down for the mail in the evening.

Saturday 4th   It rained very heavy in the morning, but was fine in the evening.  I was in bed all day.  There was to have been a meeting of the Road Board in the afternoon, but I believe it did not come off. And also a meeting of the Fruitgrowers Association at Mr Harpers in the evening .

Sunday 5th   It was a fine day.  I held no service in the afternoon as I was too unwell.  Jane was very unwell today and staid in bed.
Mr & Mrs J. C. Wyatt children and Mr Otway came for tea and spent the evening here.

Monday 6th   It was a fine day.  I was up & about, but I was unable to do any work.  Miss Fordham called in the evening to see how I was.

Tuesday 7th   It was a fine day.  There was only a small shower in the afternoon.  Willie staid home from school, he and I planted 1 Row of Kidney Potatoes.  The “Rose Case” did not come this week as she is laid up in dock.

Wednesday 8th   There were only a few slight showers during the day, but it blew very strong.   Willie staid at home from school, and he and I planted 2 rows of Potatoes.
Honor came in the evening and staid for dinner and Mabel came in the afternoon.  Mr Otway, the engineer  who has finished his work and who surveyed the road down to the Wharf this morning, left this afternoon on his way to Auckland, he borrowed two horses of Charlie to take his gear to Warkworth.

Thursday 9th   It was a fine day, but very blowy.  Willie and I planted Potatoes in the garden.

Friday 10th   It was a fine day and the wind has quietened down.  Willie and I were planting Potatoes.  We killed a Sheep in the afternoon.
Willie, Ringi, & Jimmy Brown gave a social in the Hall in the evening, as they are going to Dargaville, they sent out about 200 invitations, and a great many accepted, the Hall was beautifully decorated.   They had a Piano and Violin, the music being supplied by Messrs Whitaker &  McDonald.  They made all the confectionery at the Pa, and everything was remarkably good.   A. Haskell & Jas Dunning were the MC. s and there were a few songs between the dances.  I came home about 3 oclock, but it broke up about 5 am everyone enjoying themselves very much.
Mr Leed gave a party at his house at Matakana this evening or there would have been more at this social.

Saturday 11th   It was a fine day and very calm.  I took the mutton down to Harpers and then I was mending up the fence on the far side of the orchard.  There was rinking in the Hall in the evening.
Jane & Willie went.

Sunday 12th   It was a fine day.   Revd R.  McKinney held service in the Hall in the morning, I attended there was a large congregation.
I went to call on Mrs Copeland in the afternoon.
Willie went up to Mauds in the morning and Jane went up there after dinner and did not return until after dark.

Monday 13th   It was a fine day.  Willie staid at home from school. We  planted 3 rows of Potatoes, which now stand at 15 rows.
We finished Potato planting today.  Set fire to a heap of rubbish.

Tuesday 14th   It was a fine day.  We got the sheep up from the farm in the morning and Charlie Wyatt came to tail our Lambs.  He, Maggie, and Rebekah Brown were for dinner.
The Lambs were as follows,
Wethers      18
Ewes                 4
Total              22

We killed the Shropshire Down Ram in the afternoon & skinned it as we do not want to keep it another season, and it is always getting into Mathesons paddock.
Jane rode to Mrs Lloyds at Tea Point in the afternoon to get a setting of Eggs.  I went down to the Steamer in the evening.

Wednesday 15th   It rained during the night, and there were several showers during the morning , but it was fine in the afternoon and a strong wind was blowing.
I sowed 2 Rows Stratagem Peas 4 ft between the rows, next to the Potatoes below the house.  I put stockyard manure in the trenches  and B.B & Ashes in the drills.  Willie commenced digging round the Golden Russet Apples.
We commenced to use the Bag of Flour that I got at Harpers on 31st August.
We set a hen below the Pig Stye with 13 Eggs a cross between Wyandotte & Brown Leghorn.

Thursday 16th   It was a fine day.  I was digging between the Apple trees near the bee hive.   There was a meeting in the Hall in the evening respecting the Hall management.  The “Coralie” cutter came into the harbour from Auckland in the evening, she was loaded with sawn timber & bricks for building Walter Wyatt’s house at the Village, Walter came in her.

Friday 17th   It was a fine day.  I finished digging the piece of ground near the bee hive.  Killed a Sheep in the afternoon.  Went down to the mail and to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 18th   It was a fine day a strong wind blowing.  Took the mutton down to Harpers in the morning.  Walter Wyatt was hauling up his timber.  I continued digging next to the Peas.  There was a meeting of the Road Board also of the Whangateau Domain Board in the Hall in the afternoon.  Johny Salt came up here for tea,  Miss McKenzie was also here.

Sunday 19th   It rained last night and there were several slight showers during the morning.  Walter Wyatt was here for dinner.
I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there was only a small congregation.

Monday 20th   It was a fine day.  Walter Wyatt borrowed my bullocks to haul his timber up from the Wharf.   Primrose calved a red Bull Calf.  The calf was very wild and ran away into Haskells.
I finished digging the piece of ground next to the Peas.  Went down to Charlies in the evening.

Tuesday 21st   It was a fine day.  I sowed 2 Rows of Broad Beans.
The Steamer came in about 4 pm.  I took the bullocks down to the wharf and hauled up some Groceries and a Case of Kerosene from Rews.   The Annual Meeting of the Cricket Club was held in the Hall in the evening, there was a large attendance.

Wednesday 22nd   It was a fine day.  The Michaelmas Holidays commenced to day.  Miss Niccol & Minnie went to Auckland today in the Steamer.  We got Primrose and her Calf up and fastened up the Calf.   I sowed 1 Row of Broad Beans. Mrs & Miss Fordham came for tea and spent the evening with us.

Thursday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Got up early in the morning.
When I was saddling up Empress she kicked out and hit me on the thigh and knee.  I was in great pain, but I had to go to Warkworth. Charlie went with me.  The “Rose Casey” arrived about 2 pm, bringing Mr Hutchinson SW.   I was sworn in a Justice of the Peace along with Mr C. W. Greenwood, Mr A. Workes, Mr L. P. Beecroft.
There were several sly grog setting cases heard and Sadler against the Whangateau Domain Board, Sadler was nonsuited.
We put up our horses at Wraggs and had dinner & tea there and did not get home until nearly 11 pm.

Friday 24th   It was a fine day.  My knee was so painful that I was unable to do anything, Willie also was very unwell.
Mr G. Moor came in the afternoon to value my property.
We agreed to the valuation as follows.valuation

Saturday 25th   The wind was blowing strong from the E and it rained nearly all day.

Sunday 26th   It was fine in the morning but it commenced to rain just before dinner and continued to rain all day.  Walter Wyatt came for dinner and as it was so wet he staid for tea and all night.
I intended holding service but as it was so wet I did not go to the Hall.

Monday 27th   Walter Wyatt went home to change his clothes and then returned here, to work.
In the afternoon we went down and commenced putting in posts for a new fence below old Mr Wyatts on the road line between my place and Tom Wyatts.  There was driving rain all afternoon.

Tuesday 28th   It was a fine day.  Walter and I continued fencing in the morning.  In the afternoon we got the bullocks up and hauled some posts on to the line of fence.  “Rosey” has calved a bull calf. Minnie and Miss Niccol returned from Auckland in the Steamer in the evening.  I went down to the Village in the evening.

Wednesday 29th   It was a very fine day.  Walter & I continued fencing.

Thursday 30th   It was a dull morning, but it cleared up and was a fine day, but in the pm it came on thick with driving rain, it rained pretty steady in the morning.   Walter and I continued fencing.
Our Fowls laid 225 Eggs during the month of September
= 18 Doz & 9