September 1899

Friday 1st   It was a fine day with the exception of a smart shower in the afternoon .   I went down to the Post Office in the morning to post some letters and get some white lead.  I made and fixed the fastenings on to the gate and commenced painting the gate.  I went to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 2nd   It was a fine day.  I finished painting the gate in the morning.  In the afternoon there was a meeting of the Road Board.
Willie went fishing to Goat Island.  Dan Kempt was here for tea.
He, Jane & I went to the orchestra practice at Mrs Gravatts in the evening.

Sunday 3rd   It was a fine day.  I read service in the afternoon.  Mr Henry Brown & Mr Jas Gozar came in the afternoon with four bullocks which they are taking to Warkworth, they put the bullocks in the front, and they staid here all night.  Jane went to Mrs Gravatts after church and staid all night.

Monday 4th   It was a very dull dark morning, but it cleared off and turned out a very fine day.  We were up early to get Messrs Brown and Gozar their breakfast and they left here with their bullocks about 7.45 am.
I gave the gate another coat of paint after breakfast and then commenced mending the fence below the closet.  Misses Williams & Britton called in the afternoon.

Tuesday 5th   It was very dull and rained a little in the morning, but the afternoon was very fine.  Packed the Eggs 16½ Doz in the morning and put in a post.  In the afternoon took the bullocks and the catamaran down to the wharf, hauled the remainder of the floor boards and put them under the Hall.
It was very late when the Steamer came in, I hauled up 1 Sack of Maize, 100 lbs Flour, empty Egg box , Sack of Stones for the gateway  and bag of gravel for the fowls.

Wednesday 6th   It was a fine day.  I was mending up fences in the front garden.  Minnie rode over to Williams at Great Omaha to do some sewing.  Mr Handby came in the evening.

Thursday 7th   It was a beautiful day.  I was mending up the fence between the garden and the pigs paddock.  Minnie returned from Williams in the evening.  Miss Niccol & Miss Mitchell were here for tea.

Friday 8th    It was a fine day.  I was mending up the fence in the corner near the closet.  Minnie was planting the flower cuttings that she got from C. Matthew.
Jane went to Mathesons in the pm and from thense she was going to the rinking in the Hall in the evening.

Saturday 9th   It was a fine day.  I was splitting palings and nailing them on the fence below the closet.  Willie went over to Ti Point in the morning fishing and Minnie went over in the afternoon, Willie caught a few fish and Minnie got some oysters.
Miss Mitchell came for tea and went with Jane to the orchestral practice.  There was a meeting of the Hall committee in the evening.

Sunday 10th   It was a very fine day, but it rained a little in the evening.  I read service in the Hall in the evening afternoon, there was only a small congregation.
George Wyatt and his wife moved into the Cottage this morning, so that the rent of 2/6 a week will commence from today.
Commenced a bag of Flour this evening.

Monday 11th   It was a very fine day.  I pruned the grape vines and commenced digging below the closet.
Bowden Birdsall came in the morning and staid for dinner, he bought from me the strawberry Steer in the E.R. for £3,  the wild Steer with the white face for £2  and the cow Primrose for 30/- .  He did not take them away today.  I bargained with him for 2 Cows which he is going to bring tomorrow.

Tuesday 12th   It was a beautiful day.  Willie & I mended up the fence round the E.R.
Bowden Birdsall brought the 2 Cows I bought of him in the morning and put them in the E.R.  he staid dinner here and then went down to the Steamer.  I packed a box of Eggs 19 Doz and took it down to the Steamer with the bullocks and hauled up 1 Sack of Sharps and 2 empty Egg boxes.
Revd G. Frost held service in the Hall in the evening, there was a very good congregation,  I went down.

Wednesday 13th   It was a beautiful day.  Charlie Wyatt & I rode to Warkworth to attend the S M Court presided over by Mr T. Hutchison.  Mrs Wyatt Senr sent in a claim for an Old Age Pension and it was heard by the Court and she was awarded a Pension of £18 a year.  We had our dinner and tea and fed our horses at Wraggs.  We did not get home until midnight.

Thursday 14th   It was a fine day, but it rained a little the latter part of the afternoon.   Willie & I commenced digging in the orchard on the far side.

Friday 15th   It was a very fine day.   We got the Sheep up in the morning and Charlie came and castrated and tailed the Lambs, the sexes were as follows.
Whethers       19
Ewes                  13
.                             32
One of the Wether Lambs died in the Pigs Paddock from loss of blood.
We were digging in this orchard in the afternoon.
There was a Negro Minstrel Entertainment in the Maori Hall in the evening.

Saturday 16th   It was a beautiful day.  I was digging in the far side of the orchard all day.  Willie went fishing to Ti Point in the morning and Jane rode over there in the afternoon, but they brought home very few fish.
There was a Public Meeting in the hall in the evening called by Mr Handby to consider the action of the Road Board in fencing in the market reserve as a Sheep Pen.  The meeting passed a resolution asking the Road Board to re-consider their decision and erect the pen in some other place.
There was a meeting of the Farmers and Fruitgrowers Association in the Hall afterwards.   14 members were present.

Sunday 17th   It was a very fine day.  Mr & Mrs Salt came over from Pakiri to spend the day with us.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, Johny Salt went down with us and then returned for tea, they started for home in the evening.  Jane , Willie & I went to call at Mr C. Gravatts in the evening.

Monday 18th   It was a very dull day and it rained a little in the evening and was very misty.
I made some grafting wax in the morning and afterwards grafted the Old Windsor Pear Tree that I cut back last year.  I grafted it with Beurre Clairgeau given to me by Mr Witten.
Jane & Willie were digging in the orchard on the far side, and late in the afternoon Jane rode to Ti Point to get a sitting of Duck Eggs from Mr Neeley and 2 sittings of Hen Eggs from Mrs Lloyd.

Tuesday 19th   Slight showers in the morning, also in the evening, otherwise a fine day.  Willie & I were digging in the orchard in the morning.  In the afternoon took the bullocks down to the wharf and hauled up 6 bags B & B manure that came up by the Steamer and an empty egg box.
There was a Social in the Hall in the evening, we all went and enjoyed ourselves very much.

Wednesday 20th   There were several showers during the day.
I sowed oats in the E.R. and pointed it in.  We were digging in the orchard in the afternoon.

Thursday 21st   There were several showers during the day.  Willie & I went down to the E.R. in the morning to hoe between the Potatoes.
B  &  D.  Birdsall came to take away the cattle he bought of me,  he put 9 head into the E.R. last night which he had bought at Pakiri.
I bought a heifer near calving from him and gave in exchange, Cassy, Primmeys calf and 15/- cash.  We had a great trouble in taking them away and 3 that he bought of me got away and had to be left behind, I went with them as far as Punga Creek, and then went to Boyds and had a look round their orchard and had some refreshment there.
I was digging in the orchard in the afternoon.

Friday 22nd   There were a few showers in the morning, but it was very fine in the afternoon.  Willie & I went down to the E.R. in the morning, I stuck the 2 rows of Peas and we also loosened round several rows of Potatoes.   We were digging in the orchard in the afternoon.

Saturday 23rd   It was a fine day.  I was digging in the orchard all day. Jane helped me a little in the afternoon.
Willie & Johny Greenwood went to Ti Point fishing and Minnie rode over there in the afternoon, but they did not get many fish.  They all returned here for tea.   The Annual Meeting of the Cricket Club was held in the Ti Point School this evening.

Sunday 24th   There were several heavy showers during the day principally in the afternoon.  I went down to the Hall in the pm, but there was no service, the threatening state of the weather no doubt keeping people away.

Monday 25th   There was a heavy shower of rain at about 8.30 am, but afterwards it cleared up and was a fine day.  We were all digging in the orchard all day.  Minnie rode over to Williams at Big Omaha in the morning to dress make.  Albert Wyatt came in the pm and paid for the horse grazing up to last Wednesday.  He has taken the horse out.

Tuesday 26th   There were several very heavy showers of rain during the day, especially in the afternoon.  Willie & I were digging in the orchard in the morning.  Mary Anne & Eunice Pratt called in the morning & staid for lunch.  Packed the Eggs and took them down to the Steamer in the afternoon and hauled up milk pans & buckets & empty egg box that came up by the steamer.  There was a meeting of the Organ Committee in the Hall in the pm to consider an application from the Musical Society for the use of the Organ for their practices, the application was granted.

Beauty.  the new Cow, calved a Heifer Calf in the E.R , we are going to call it “Roaney” on account of its colour.

Wednesday 27th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers .
Bowden Birdsall came with two sadlers, they brought some quiet cattle with them to take away the cattle he bought of me, he also bought a spotted Heifer of me for £3.  They had lunch here and then they started with the cattle up the hill and round by the top mail road, the cattle went very quietly, Willie & I helped them up the hill beyond Mr Handbys.
I was digging at the bottom of the orchard after I came back, Jane was helping me in the pm and was working there by herself in the morning while we were getting the cattle.

Thursday 28th   It was a very fine day.  Willie & I got the new Cow  (Beauty) and her calf from the E.R.  I milked the cow & fasted up the calf, the cow was very quiet and I milked her without bailing her up.  I left her in the pigs paddock all day and milked her again in the evening.
Jane & Willie were cleaning out the Dairy and loosening between the Strawberries in the morning.  In the afternoon Jane, Willie & I finished digging the strip of ground in the orchard below the bottom Jargonell Pear Tree.

Friday 29th   I went down to the Post Office in the morning.Commenced to dig the piece of ground that was in peas and kumeras last year, but there were some very showers of rain, so we had to leave off.

Saturday 30th   After we had milked the cows in the morning it came on to rain and continued to rain all day.  Pulled a little tea tree out in the front and got some firewood.

Memo’
The Fowls laid 857 Eggs during the month of September
= to 71 Doz & 5.  Valued at £1 . 16 . 9