The Buzz About White Mustard: Fisk Bangs’ 1878 Bee Journal
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
June 7, 1878
On this day, dear cultivators of both garden and apiary, we find ourselves transported back to a time when the hum of bees and the rustle of leaves were the primary symphony of summer.
It was on this very date that one Fisk Bangs, a gentleman of discerning horticultural taste, put quill to paper in the esteemed American Bee Journal Volume 14, regaling readers with the tale of his blooming White Mustard.
Let us pause for a moment to envision the scene: fields of White Mustard, their delicate yellow flowers swaying in the warm June breeze, a veritable sea of gold stretching as far as the eye can see.
And what's that sound?
Ah yes, the melodious buzz of industrious bees, nature's own alchemists, transforming nectar into liquid gold.
Fisk Bangs, with the precision of a seasoned gardener and the enthusiasm of a child witnessing their first spring bloom, noted:
It began to bloom about June 7th and lasted nearly eight months.
Eight months of continuous bloom! One can hardly fathom such a sight. Modern gardeners, take heed - here lies a plant of remarkable stamina and generosity.
The bees commenced work on the 11th.
Ah, the bees. Those diligent workers, ever attuned to the rhythms of nature.
Four days they waited, perhaps allowing the flowers to reach their peak nectar production before beginning their laborious dance from bloom to bloom.
On the 19th, the bees were so thick that their hum sounded something like Prof. Cook's buzz-saw, lacking the screech.
What a vivid description! Can you not hear it, dear readers? The air thick with the hum of countless wings, a sound so intense it rivaled the mechanical drone of Prof. Cook's buzz-saw. One can only imagine the sight - a cloud of bees, their bodies glinting in the summer sun as they flit from flower to flower in a frenzy of activity.
But Fisk Bangs was not content merely to observe. No, like any true horticulturist, he saw potential for improvement, for synchronization with nature's grand design:
This is one of the best honey plants, and I think its bloom call be easily regulated... to have it come after Basswood.
Here we see the mind of a master at work. Not satisfied with the natural order of things, Fisk Bangs envisioned a world where the White Mustard's bloom could be timed to perfection, extending the honey flow beyond the traditional Basswood season. What foresight! What innovation!
As we tend our gardens today, let us take a moment to consider the humble White Mustard. Perhaps, like Fisk Bangs, we too can find ways to work in harmony with our buzzing friends, creating a symphony of bloom that lasts not just through the summer, but deep into the golden days of autumn.
What unexpected pleasures might your garden hold, dear readers?
What humble plant might reveal itself to be a treasure trove for bees and beekeepers alike?
As you go about your daily tending, keep your eyes - and ears - open. For in the gentle hum of a bee-filled garden, you might just hear the echo of Fisk Bangs' remarkable White Mustard field, stretching across the years to remind us of the timeless dance between flower and bee.
