September 1906

Saturday 1st   It was a fine day.  I was digging in the orchard all day.  Willie was working at his charcoal pit.  Jane rode to Ti Point in the evening and staid all night.

Sunday 2nd   It was very fine in the morning.  Willie walked over to Ti Point.  Jane returned from Ti Point just about lunch time, she brought Agnes with her.  I went down to the Hall in the pm .  Mr French should have held service, but being indisposed he got Bertie Witten to take his place.  It rained a good bit later in the afternoon & evening.  Willie got wet coming from Ti Point in the evening.

Monday 3rd   It was a dull day, but it did not rain.  I put in a new gate post at the sheep pen, also one in the lane.

Tuesday 4th   There were several rainbows early in the morning so we thought it was going to be a showery day, but it turned out very fine.  Willie went down to the Post Office after breakfast.
I dug round the July Green Gage and the bottom Apricot.

Wednesday 5th   It was very fine and bright in the morning, however there were a few slight showers.  The wind is blowing strong from the SE.  Willie set alight to his charcoal kiln and is camped on the hill.  I dug round the two Burbank trees next to the Jargonell Pear Trees.
Jane took Agnes down to the village in the afternoon to meet the steamer and to get the mail.
I steeped the Seed Potatoes in a solution of Sulphate of Copper.

Thursday 6th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I took the bullock down to the wharf with a Box of Eggs and hauled up empty egg box, box of groceries, gunney of goods and some grit for the fowls.
Alma walked over from Ti Point by herself, Minnie called in after having come over to the store.  Mrs Arthur Greenwood was also here for dinner.  I took the seed potatoes out of the solution and placed them on a shelf in the store .  Willie was watching his charcoal pit which he lighted yesterday.  I commenced digging another strip in the orchard, I dug round the top Late Scarlet Apple Tree.

Friday 7th   It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing very strong from the NE.  After breakfast I went down to the Post Office, but although the “Kawau” called in on her way to Mangawai, she brought no mail.  Mrs Albert Wyatt was here for dinner.  I dug round the lowest Late Scarlet Apple and 1 Burbank, the ground is very stiff, which is the reason I did not dig more.
Jane rode to Pakiri in the evening to be present at a bachelors Ball.
I went down to the Post Office in the evening to get the mail.

Saturday 8th   It was very dull in the morning and had every indication of rain.  I was getting leaves and rubbish out of the bush  on the hill to dig in, in the orchard.  In the afternoon it looked finer, so I dug round one tree, Early Newington Peach.  In the evening Joe and Minnie came over with Arthur to stay, so that all the family are here now.  Jane returned from the Pakiri Ball at day break this morning having enjoyed herself very much.  It came on to rain in the evening.

Sunday 9th   It rained nearly all day.  Joe and Minnie returned home in the afternoon taking the two youngest children with them.

Monday 10th   It rained heavily all day.  I was not able to do much out of doors.

Tuesday 11th   It was a fine day, but the ground is saturated with water.  I was pulling up tea tree all day on the hill behind the cottage.

Wednesday 12th   It was a fine day, but the ground is still very wet.  In the morning I was cutting & pulling tea tree on the hill behind the cottage.  In the afternoon I took the bullock down to the wharf with a box of eggs and hailed up an empty egg box and some grit for the fowls.
Jane took Alma home in the pm returning herself in the evening.

Thursday 13th   It was a very fine day.   In the morning I sprayed the Apple trees near the orchard gate with Bordeaux mixture, also dug round the large Peach tree in the middle of the orchard.
In the afternoon I was digging in the orchard, also went over to Walter Frearsons to get some grafts of Grand Duke Plum.
In the late afternoon Carron put 49 head of cattle in the front to graze for the night .
In the evening Whitehouse showed his Keinomatograph in the Hall, none of us went.

Friday 14th   It was a disagreeable day, neither wet nor fine, but misty rain.  In the morning I went down to the village to post some letters.  In the afternoon I cleared out the calf place and put the manure over the orchard fence against the Beurre Capiaumont.  Jane went to Joe Wyatts in the pm where she had tea, went down to the mail afterwards. Received a letter from Jack.

Saturday 15th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I killed, plucked and drew the oldest drake,  Afterwards I was digging in the orchard.  In the afternoon Walter Frearson come over to do some grafting for me.  We grafted an old stock of German Damson in the farm orchard, with Grand Duke we put 40 grafts on it, afterwards he grafted 3 Peach stocks in this garden with Wrights Early  Plum.  Walter and Gladys staid for tea.  Willie went to Ti Point in the morning.

Sunday 16th   It was fine in the morning and had every indication of being a fine day, but there were several slight showers of rain, and in the evening it set in steady rain.  It was the Anniversary of the Bible Class, Jane went to it and Mabel Wyatt came up with her for dinner,  while we were at dinner,  Flo’,  Harold and the baby came in, they all staid here for tea.

Monday 17th   When we got up in the morning we found that the wind was blowing strong from the SE and as the day advanced the wind increased in force.  Willie returned from Ti Point in the morning .  I went over to Walter Freasons to get some oranges and grafts of Dougherty Apple, when I got home I headed back a large Stone Pippin apple that was very blighted and put 10 grafts of Dougherty Apple on to it, also headed back a Rivess Orange Nectarine and put on 15 grafts of Wrights Early Plum.
Mrs Alf Gravatt came to register the birth of her baby , and Mr Lloyd came up and had a bit of dinner with us and then had a look round the orchard.
Jane went down to Uncle Johns to spend the day.
Willie put in a new post in the fence between the front garden and the pigs paddock.

Tuesday 18th   It was a fine day.  The wind and the sea have gone down, and toward evening the wind had changed round to the S.
I prepared a box and sowed Cabbage Seed in it,  afterwards I was digging round the bottom Golden Drop and one Autumn Compôte, Willie was mending up the fences round the garden and later in the afternoon he dug round the lowest Autumn Compôte tree.

Wednesday 19th   It was a fine day, but the wind is blowing strong from the SE, Willie and I were digging in the orchard , we dug round 2 Burbanks below the Autumn Compote.  In the afternoon Willie took the bullock down to the wharf with a box of eggs and hauled up a Sack of Bran & empty egg box.
The “Kawau” had a very rough trip from Auckland.
I went down to Archie Dunnings to spend the evening.

Thursday 20th   The wind was blowing stronger than ever from the SE.  The “Kawau” coming out of Big Omaha this morning found that on account of the heavy sea outside she could not come in this harbour so went straight on the Auckland, thus leaving all the cargo that was waiting for her in the shed on this wharf.  It seemed threatening for rain all day, but the strong wind kept it off.  Willie and I dug round the bottom Burbank in that row and then commenced another strip digging round the Beurre Capiaumont and small Burbank.
Jane went to spend the day at Mrs Albert Wyatts to do some sewing and on account of the weather staid all night.

Friday 21st   It was a showery day, but cleared up in the afternoon, the wind and sea have also gone down.  On account of the weather we were not able to do anything out of doors.  I ripped down 4 Kaihakatea poles to make a gate.
Willie went down for the mail in the evening..

Saturday 22nd   It was a fine day, but the ground is too wet to dig after the rain we had yesterday.
Willie mended up the farm orchard fence , I was pruning trees in the farm orchard and Willie was also in the afternoon .
Mabel Wyatt was here for tea and staid all night, and Willie Dunning came to spend the evening.

Sunday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Revd E. G. Evans held service in the Hall in the morning, Jane and I attended.  In the afternoon I called up to Mr Handbys and staid tea.  Jane went to spend the afternoon with Johanna McKenzie .  Willie went to Ti Point in the morning to spend the day and he staid there all night.

Monday 24th   It rained heavily last night, but it was fine and sunny this morning.
In the morning I was planting plants of Pasplum Dilitatum in the front.  Willie returned from Ti Point, he was unable to get any fish.  In the afternoon Willie skinned a sheep that died in the Barley Paddock,  afterwards he was helping me prune the Orleans trees in the farm orchard.
Willie went down to the wharf in the evening to meet the “Kawau” as we are expecting Lem Avey here to stay,  it poured with rain while they were coming up and they both got wet through.

Tuesday 25th   It was a fine day, but the ground is very wet with all the rain we had last night.  Willie and I were pruning the Orleans in the farm orchard all day.  Willie went to spend the evening at Archie Dunnings to have a game of Ping Pong with Willie Dunning.

Wednesday 26th   It was fine during the day, but it set in to rain steadily in the evening.
Gus Avey came here first thing in the morning,  He came up the same time as Lem and has been staying at Charlie Dunnings, he spent the day here.  In the afternoon Jane and the Avey boys went round to Ti Point in the “Kawau“.
Willie and I were pruning the Orleans in the farm orchard both morning and afternoon.

Thursday 27th   It was a fine day.  Willie and I were pruning the Orleans Plums in the farm orchard in the morning.  In the afternoon Willie took the bullock down to the wharf with a box of eggs, and hauled up 1 Sack of Maize and a Sack of Sharps in two loads,  Jane returned from Ti Point in the “Kawau” in the afternoon, the Avey boys staid over there.

Friday 28th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I went down to the Post Office to post a newspaper, I went down to the wharf to get some grit for the fowls.  While I was down there, the “Kawau” came in from Auckland bringing a mail, so I went up to the P. O again and got our mail.
In the afternoon Willie got the bullock up and hauled down 12  Sacks of Charcoal, I went down to the wharf again in the afternoon to get some more grit and Willie hauled it up.  In the evening there was a meeting in the Library of persons interested in the fishing industry .  Afterwards there was a Euchre party in the Hall, a good few attended.  The Avey boys returned to our place and staid all night.

Saturday 29th   It was a fine day.  The Avey boys left by the “Kawau” at 7 oclock this morning.
In the morning I sprayed the Orleans in the farm orchard with Bordeaux Mixture, Willie and I were also pruning the Beurre Diel pear tree.
In the afternoon there was Tennis practice at the court, there was also a meeting of subscribers to consider the advisability of joining the Rodney Tennis Association, it was unanamously decided to join.

Sunday 30th   It came over misty and there were a few slight showers in the morning and we thought it was going to be a disagreeable day, however about noon the weather looked better so at 12.15 Willie and I started to walk to Ti Point and got to Joes in time for dinner, it was the first time I had seen their new house, but it is not near finished.
At 5 pm Jane started to ride to Matakana to stay at Mrs Cruickshanks to be in time for the Ball at Matakana tomorrow night.