The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-09-26
PUGH PLUM CULTURE WORK

PUGH PLUM CULTURE WORK
The following letter has been re-
ceived, and, as it states in very
expressive manner what is fact, 1t
is herewith reproduced:
Spangle, Wash,
& Sept. %, 1906.
To- the Democratic County Central
AZ Committee.
Gentlemen:
While a good many hor-
ticulturists and fruit growers are
descanting on the possibilities in
this part of the world for producing
fruits of various kinds, would it not
be good idea for the democracy
to attract attention to what has
become known as the "Pugh plum, "
which has fiourished in the political
ground of Spokane county for
many years? It's chief characters.
ticsseems to be tenacity for the soil
in which it grows, especially when
attended by republican watchcare.
1t seems, also, to be able to
"crowd out" other equally valuable
possibilities, though | would in no
sense attribute to it the "strang-
ling" qualities manifested by some
kinds of flora.
am told that the species was in
troduced to native soil from Oregon
in the Seventies. What should
most be considered now is the man
ner of it's thriving and some of the
fruit it has borne, to say nothing
of the demands it has made upon
the productiveness of the commun-
ity. Some people prefer plums to
peaches, but every lover of plums
demands a flavor and lusciousness.
This quality the Pugh had, and by
cultivation it has acquired that 9TH
er characteristic of not dropping
before picking time. Is it not about
picking time?
One specimen Of the fruit has
been drawing sustenance from Spo-
kane soil, these many years, the
sap coming through the sheriff s
office. The public has come to
call this specimen by the name of
Mac" and it can hardly be COM
puted how much he has as sheriff
and deputy drawn from the soil.
Felix also drew sap through the
sheriff root for time and then
through the federal marshalship.
He dropped" off year or two ago,
but he is so essential to the fur
ther growth of the variety that he
has been called in as manager of
the entire snecies this fall. Although
ready for the crate, he is still on
exhibition, because of the virility
with which he adheres to the pub
lie service.
The prosecutor cannot get along
without one of the species, and he,
too, draws sap from the yielding
soil.
We have a grated one here down
at Spangle, thriving on the county
poor farm, at so much per.
There's one in the county audit
or's office, though not of the orig
inal stock as first seen here.
Some years ago there was a graft
made by combining an importation
from the east on the Oregon stem.
Doust is the name given it, and it
has all the characteristics of in
eradicability possessed by the orig
inal. 1t thrives in Spokane county.
The original setting was for a term
in the Office of the county commits
sioners, and then it waXed luscious
for five years in the sheriff's office.
While there he brought in anoth-
err who was jailor for a time, and
now has been transplanted to the
garden of the county roads, where
he has the say concerning how to
build macadam roads, as if that
were the logical result of railroad
career followed by jailor job.
The Pugh and Doust strains also
come together through the union of
a Doust offshoot with scion of
the Spangle variety of Pugh, and |
see by the papers that he also is
deputy sheriff, though he is said
to have no tap root in the county
soil.
Just to sum up:
Mac" on the county pay roll at
S110 or so a month. and rent free.
Felix, an absolute necessity to
perpetuating through politics the
incomes of the rest.
Fred as deputy prosecutor at coed
salary, and a supposed anchor for
Barnhart.
Stafford at the poor farm, with
regular income and perks"
G. A. Doust experimenting road
work for the county at S. a day.
Uncle" John as copyist for the
auditor at 800 a month.
That foots up a snug sum for the
family.
| almost forgot the Doak twig.
for the Doaks were adopted" by
the Doust wing of the family. How