September 1901

Sunday 1st   It was a fine day.  Willie returned from Ti Point in the morning, he brought 3 schnapper home.  I read service in the Hall in the afternoon, there were about 15 present.

Monday 2nd   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were planting Potatoes the top side of the house.  Willie and I took the Eggs down to the Store in the evening.  The Rose arrived from Auckland about 8 pm.

Tuesday 3rd   It was fine in the morning, we got up early and took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up 2 Sacks Shell Lime. Jane and Willie went round to Ti Point in the Rose, Jane took Minnie some flower roots, and Willie to get some Eggs from Lloyds for setting.  Willie returned with the Steamer.  It rained in the afternoon.  We set 3 Hens with the Eggs that we got from Lloyds.

Wednesday 4th   There was a misty rain falling nearly all day.
Willie & I got a stock of firewood in the morning, and in the afternoon we went down to the beach and sifted some black soil and carried some up.  The “Rob Roy” was to have called in at 1 pm from Waipu, bringing Heber Meiklejohn and his bride and also to take some Sheep for Mr Harper, but they got a wire to say that she was wind bound at Waipu.

Thursday 5th   It was a fine day.  We were working in the farm orchard.  Jane returned from Ti Point on Joe’s horse in the evening.

Friday 6th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were working in the farm orchard, we cut down a German Damson and I put 24 grafts of Satsuma Plum on to it.
Minnie and Jessie Neely came to spend the day, I gave Jessie a lot of plants & cuttings to take home.  Minnie rode up to see Mrs Arthur Wright and Miss Kempt and they gave her plants etc.  I went down for the mail, also to the Library.

Saturday 7th   It was a fine day tho’ very windy.  Willie went fishing to Ti Point.  I was working in the flower garden all day.  Miss Hutchinson was here for tea and staid all night.

Sunday 8th   It was a fine day, but rather windy.  Revd R. McKinney held service in the Hall in the morning and preached memorial sermon for the late Mrs Haskell.  Miss Hutchinson went with us and returned for dinner and she and Jane rode over to Big Omaha to Mr McKinney’s service.  I went down to the beach to call at the John Wyatts in the afternoon.

Monday 9th   It was a beautiful day.  Alec Haskell came to register his mothers death in the morning.
We finished planting Potatoes above the house and then we cleaned the strawberry bed .
I set 2 Hens with Eggs (Lloyds)

Tuesday 10th   It was a fine day.  We were digging between the strawberries.  Jane rode over to Ti Point and came round in the Rose, and Minnie rode Jane’s horse home and staid with us all night. Willie and I took the bullock down to the wharf with a box of eggs to send to Dumper, we expected some groceries from Dumper, but they did not come.
Mr & Mrs John Greenwood came here before the Steamer came in and I gave them some flower cuttings .  Bowden Birdsall called in the evening to register the birth of a child and he staid for tea.

Wednesday 11th   It was an unpleasant day, very windy.  Mrs Sim and Mrs J. Cruickshank came in the afternoon, the latter to stay.

Thursday 12th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were putting up a wire netting fence across the bottom of the garden.
Jane rode over to Ti Point to get some oysters.  Mrs J. Cruickshank went to spend the afternoon with Mrs Charlie Wyatt.

Friday 13th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were planting Potatoes below the house, between the Hayles Early Peach.
We all went down to the village in the evening, to get the mail and visit the Library.

Saturday 14th   It was a fine day, but very windy.  Jane went with Mrs J. Cruickshank to Mr Sims.  Dan Kempt and I went to Ashtons creek to pass a contract that Walter Wyatt has just completed there.  Dan returned with me and had some lunch and then we went to a Road Board Meeting in the afternoon, and a meeting of the Show Committee in the evening.  Willie went fishing with Joe T to the back beach and brought home a 10 lbs Schnapper and a large rock cod.

Sunday 15th   It was dull and windy in the morning.  There was an anniversary service in the Hall in the morning in connection with the Bible Class, we all went.  It came on showery in the afternoon and there was no service.

Monday 16th   It blew very strong from W with driving misty rain.  We finished planting Potatoes.

Tuesday 17th   It was a fine day.  We commenced to make the wire netting fence across the bottom of the garden where we have planted Potatoes, took a box of Eggs down to the wharf in the afternoon expecting to get the groceries that by the Steamer, but the Rose, after coming in went round to Big Omaha as she has a lot of timber on board for D. Darroch, so we had to come home without the groceries.
There was a Social in the Hall in the evening – but there were not many there and only about £1 . 5 . 0 was taken at the door.  Commenced using the bag of Flour got from Harpers.

Wednesday 18th   It was a fine day.  We got up early and went down to the Steamer.   Jane went round in the Rose to Ti Point to stay at Minnie‘s.  We took the bullock down and hauled up the groceries. We finished the fence at the bottom of the garden, and then commenced to dig.

Thursday 19th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were digging in the orchard.  I regrafted a Black Mulberry near the closet.

Friday 20th   It was a fine day.  Continued digging in the orchard, finished up to the other side of the large Vicar of Winkfield  Pear. There was a meeting of the supporters of the Coastal Steam Ship Co in the Hall in the evening.  Jane returned from Ti Point.  I sent the boys some garden seeds.

Saturday 21st   It was a fine day.  Willie went fishing to Ti Point.  I went down to the beach in the afternoon and burned a lot of sea weed, while I was there both the “Kawau” and “Rob Roy” called in on their way to Auckland.  I rode over to the Maori Hall in the evening with Charlie Wyatt to a meeting about getting a new Hall.  I called in at Mr Sims and Dan Kempt & I came home together.

Sunday 22nd   It was a fine day.  Mr H. R. French (Wesleyan) held service in the Hall in the afternoon, and preached a very good sermon.  Walter Frearson was here for tea.

Monday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Willie and I went down to the beach in the morning and sieved the sea weed ashes and carried them over to the wharf.
In the afternoon we were digging between the young Peach trees below the house for peas.

Tuesday 24th   It was a fine day.  We sowed 2 long rows of Stratagem Peas.  Took the box of Eggs down to the wharf in the pm and hauled up the empty Egg box and a bag of seaweed ashes.
I heard to day that Dawson Birdsall  was killed yesterday by a fall from his horse.  Jane rode to Ti Point  in the morning and returned in the evening.  Charlie Wyatt  commenced to supply us with 1 Pint of Milk a day.

Wednesday 25th   It was a fine day.  We had 3 hens bring out chickens 26 between them, we gave them to 2 hens.  We were digging to where we sowed the Peas and Willie finished digging the piece out to the path while I was away in the afternoon.
I walked over to Dawson Birdsalls funeral in the Dacres Claim Cemetery in the afternoon , there were a great number present.  Revd R. McKinney conducted the service at the grave.  I called in at Mr Sims for tea and came home in the evening with Dan Kempt who was also there to practice over the songs he is going to sing tomorrow night.

Thursday 26th   It was a fine day.  We commenced digging where we had Maize growing last year.  There was a Concert in the Hall in the evening got up as a benefit for Mrs Thomas Wyatt, there was a good number there, principally children.  Mr C. Holder was chairman.  We all went, Jane took part.

Friday 27th   Jane rode over to Ti Point in the afternoon  morning.  It was fine in the morning tho’ misty.  We were digging in the garden where the Maize was growing last year.  It came on a steady rain in the afternoon which made us Knock off work.
I went down to the Post Office and to the Library in the evening.

Saturday 28th   Willie went fishing to Ti Point, but he did not catch anything, but Joe gave him a schnapper to bring home.  The rain that we had last night has softened the ground nicely.  I planted out 70 Cabbage plants that I got from George Wyatt also 17 Cauliflower and 6 Tomato plants that Minnie sent me.  Jane returned from Ti Point in the afternoon.

Sunday 29th   It was a fine day.  I went down to the Hall in the afternoon expecting to hold service as usual, but when I got down there I learnt that the Salvationists were going to hold service, but as there were so few present, they held no service, and I held none.
I went up to Joe Wyatts and staid  for tea and spent the evening.
Mr & Mrs C. Gravatt were there.

Monday 30th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I finished digging the piece of ground that was in Maize and Kumeras las season.
Jane rode to Matakana in the afternoon to be present at the bachelors ball there this evening.

Memo’
The Fowls laid 1004 Eggs during the month of September 1901
= to 83 Doz and 8.      Value £2 . 5 . 7