September 1905

Friday 1st   It was a showery day.  Willie buried the calf in the morning, afterwards he was digging the far side of the orchard.
I was planting out Pasplum plants, afterwards was digging with Willie.  I went down to the Post Office and Library in the evening.

Saturday 2nd   It was a very showery day.  The first clutch of Chickens were hatched out.  It was so wet that Willie and I were only able to get a good supply of firewood.

Sunday 3rd   It was a very showery day.  Willie went to Ti Point.

Monday 4th   It was a beautiful day, but the ground is very wet after all the rain we had yesterday.  In the morning on account of it being so wet outside, I packed the eggs afterwards mixed some sulphate of copper & water ½lb sulphate to 5 gallons of water and syringed the two large Coes Late Red & 2 Beurre Bose.  In the afternoon I syringed the bottom Apricot Tree and was digging the far side of the orchard.

Tuesday 5th   It was a beautiful day.  In the morning and early part of the afternoon I was digging round the bottom Apricot tree.
Later in the afternoon I went down to the Steamer, she was late in coming, Mabel called here and she and Jane went down to the Steamer.

Wednesday 6th   It was a beautiful day.  In the morning I got the bullock up and hauled the box of Eggs down to the wharf, expecting to have a Sack of Maize to haule up, but I found that the Steamer people had not landed it, so I went home with a Fowl crate, empty egg box and some grit for the fowls.   Mrs C. Dunning came to register the birth of her baby  (Mary Kathleen Dunning)  as we were having dinner.
In the afternoon I took the bullock down to the wharf again , found the “Kawau” alongside and they had landed my Maize so I hauled it up.  Minnie, Alma & the Baby came round in the Steamer, came up here and after tea walked home.  Willie Dunning came to spend the evening, we were playing at cribbage and euchre.

Thursday 7th   It was fine in the morning, tho’ dull.  In the morning I was digging round the July Green Gage tree.
Emma came up here for dinner.  In the afternoon I went over to Walter Frearsons , he gave me some grafts of Grand Duke Plum & Wrights Early.  It came on to rain late in the afternoon and rained steadily all evening.

Friday 8th   It was fine in the morning.  In the morning I went over to the farm orchard and was trimming off the shoots of a cut back German Damson tree ready for regrafting.  Before going over there I made a lot of grafting wax .  Willie returned from Ti Point just before dinner, bringing with him 2 Schnapper, 1 large Rock Cod & 1 Kawhai. There was a thunderstorm in the pm.  Jane went to Joe Wyatts, also for the mail.

Saturday 9th   It was very fine in the morning and the sun was scorching hot.  Willie and I made a small fowl run in the lower part of the pig’s paddock to keep some pure bred Brown Leghorns in for breeding.  A thunderstorm came on again the latter part of the afternoon with pouring rain.
Put the Rooster and the two Hens into the new pen.

Sunday 10th   It was fine in the morning.  Willie went over to Ti Point with all his traps to be in readiness to start fishing tomorrow.
Revd C. Griffin (Wesleyan) held service in the Hall in the afternoon, Jane & I went.  Just before we started there were some showers and there were very few present, it rained also, later in the pm, but cleared up in the evening.

Monday 11th   It was what might be called a fine day, there being only a few showers.
I found that the rooster had got out of the pen so I had to raise the fence.  I was syringing plum trees and digging.  Jane went down to meet the “Kawau” in the afternoon , she called in to the Store to get some presents for Annie Matheson  who is to be married on Wednesday.

Tuesday 12th   It commenced to rain about 6 oclock this morning and it rained most of the morning, it was finer in the afternoon.
After breakfast I went down to the wharf to meet the “Kawau” coming from Mangawai, the fishing boats put fish on board of her, Joe & Willie had 32 bundles, but I did not see them as they gone away before I got down, I carried up some grit for the fowls.  I packed the eggs.  In the afternoon Alf Fenton came to get his marriage Certificate.

Wednesday 13th   It was fine in the morning, I whitewashed an Apricot tree and did a little digging.  It rained nearly all afternoon.  Jane went down to Annie Matheson’s wedding, the rain stopped and the sun came out when they were married.  I took the bullock down to the wharf with a box of eggs and hauled up a box of groceries, the “Kawau” was very late when she came in.
Willie Dunning asked me to go down to the wedding party this evening but when I got and had my tea I felt too tired to go out again.

Thursday 14th   It rained nearly all morning.  I went to Mrs Dunnings in the afternoon to witness her signature .  Willie returned from Ti Point in the evening, he brought a few fish with him.

Friday 15th   It was very fine in the morning and afternoon.  In the morning Willie got up Empress and went over to Dunnings to borrow May‘s horse for Jane to go to the Fancy Dress Ball at Pakiri this evening.
Willie and I got a lot of firewood afterwards, we were digging the far side of the orchard, I also burned a lot of prunings.  Minnie and Joe called in the afternoon to get Empress to go to the Pakiri Ball.  I went to the mail and Library in the evening.  After I came home it rained steadily.

Saturday 16th   It was a fine day.  Jane returned from the Pakiri Ball just as we were getting up.  Willie returned May Dunning‘s horse, and then he and I were digging in the orchard the remainder of the day.

Sunday 17th   Willie went over to Ti Point in the morning.  I started to go up to Mr Jos Greenwoods, but when I got on our hill there was a very heavy shower and it continued very showery so I turned back home.
Jane went to the Bible class, it was their anniversary and they had something special.
In the afternoon it was very fine, Jane walked to Ti Point and rode back on Empress.
I went up to Mr Handbys and had tea there.

Monday 18th   It was fine in the morning.  I went down to
N. Matheson’s paddock to drive out some sheep and fix up the fence.
Afterwards I was cutting some suckers from a Damson tree and scraping moss from the bark,  it came on to rain as I was coming up for lunch and it rained most of the afternoon.  As it was wet in the afternoon, I packed the bos of eggs  (23½ Doz).

Tuesday 19th   It was a showery day.  I was cutting suckers from the Golden Drop Plums and scraping moss from the bark.

Wednesday 20th   It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers.  In the morning I syringed 2 Golden Drop Plums & 2 Damson trees with Bordeaux mixture to kill the moss on the bark.  In the afternoon I was digging a little round an Apricot tree.  Jane went to spend the afternoon with Mrs Dunning Senr and from there she went down to the Steamer.  I went down to meet the Steamer in the evening, she came in about 7 pm, it was the “Gael” this week as the “Kawau” is in dock.  Willie Dunning came up with us and he and I had a game of cribbage.

Thursday 21st   The morning was very fine.  I went to see Alec Haskell who is confined to his bed, having had an accident by being trampled on by a beast.  Afterwards I took the bullock down to the wharf with a box of eggs and hauled up 100 lbs Flour,  56 lbs Bag Sugar,  empty egg box and some grit for the fowls.
I had only just got home when down came a heavy shower, and there were several during the pm.  Jane went with Miss Gallie to see Mrs Alec Matheson in the pm.  In the afternoon Jimmy Brown came to tell me that old Mrs Murray  (Native)  was dead and asked me to read the funeral service tomorrow.

Friday 22nd   It was a very showery day.  The Revd H. A. Favell arrived here about 8.30 am having just come up in the “Gael”.
I took some Maize up to Mr Handbys to grind it fit for chickens.  In the afternoon I went over to the Pah to read the service over Mrs Murray – who lived with Mrs Whitleys at Pakiri and was brought here to be buried alongside of her husband.  I called at the P. O on my way home and got my Weekly News &c.

Saturday 23rd   It was a fine day.  In the morning I took Revd Favell to see Alec Haskell,  I went down to Mathesons paddock and then called back again for Mr Favell.
Willie returned from Ti Point just as we had finished dinner.  In the afternoon Mr Favell rode on Empress to Mr Birdsalls so as to be ready for the service tomorrow.  Willie and I got a lot of firewood.

Sunday 24th   There were only a few slight showers.  Jane went to Bible Class and stayed down there until the afternoon service.   Revd H. A. Favell held service in the Hall in the afternoon, there were only 30 present.  Offeratory 11/1.   Mr Favell preached an excellent sermon which everyone enjoyed.  He came up to our place after the service to stay.  Willie Dunning was up here for tea.

Monday 25th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were digging in the orchard in the morning, we dug round the top Apricot, 1 Wager Peach and Apple tree.  In the afternoon Willie went over to Ti Point to fish.  I continued digging and dug round the two Late Scarlet Apple trees.  Willie Dunning came in the evening and we played at Whist, the Parson and I played against Willie and Jane, we won two rubbers out of three.

Tuesday 26th   There were a few heavy showers during the day.  I sent 2 Steers and 1 Heafer by Robert Meiklejohn to the sale which is to be held at Warkworth tomorrow.  I packed the box of eggs while it was showery and I dug round a Burbank plum.
I went down to see Mr Favell off by the “Gael” which called in here about 8.30 pm.

Wednesday 27th   There were a few slight showers.  I got the bullock in the morning and hauled the box of Eggs down to the wharf and brought up some sand and grit.  In the afternoon I was digging a bit in the orchard and afterwards went down to the Steamer, then went up with Mabel to have tea there and intended to go with her to the Euchre party at the Claim Hall.

Thursday 28th   After I had milked in the morning it came on to rain heavily which lasted for some time, but it cleared up again.
I set 2 Hens 13 Eggs each of Brown Leghorn breed of our own.
I dug round the Early Newington Peach.

Friday 29th   It had been raining last night and early this morning.  After breakfast I went down to the P.O to post some letters, the “Gael” was expected in from Mangawai, 6 passengers were waiting to go away, a quantity of fish and Mr H. Brown had some Sheep waiting, as the Steamer did not come by noon they gave her up and the Sheep were brought up to my paddock, however the Steamer came in the afternoon and they took the Sheep out and put them on board.   Jane road to Matakana on Miss Gallies horse to be present at a private theatrical entertainment.  Willie returned from Ti Point in the evening.
In the evening I went down to Library, Mr Boyd was not over.  There was also a meeting of the Hall Committee .  During the day I dug round the Large Seedling Peach and one Golden Drop.

Saturday 30th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were digging in the orchard all day, we dug round 4 trees, viz 1 Golden Drop, 2 Autumn Compôte and 1 Burbank, Willie went down to the Store after we knocked off work.
Albert Wyatt came in the evening to pay the rent.