Insectary
Title
Insectary
Subject
[no text]
Description
Massachusetts Agricultural College built the Insectary in 1888 in order to provide a space to cultivate the study of insects, specifically those that were harming plants across the state. The Insectary was built on what would become Stockbridge Road, near Stockbridge House. Built early in the history of the school, the Insectary was soon surrounded by buildings constructed around the turn of the century that continued the school’s commitment to the study of agriculture, including French and Clark Halls, and their corresponding greenhouses.
The building itself was only one and a half stories tall, measuring 28 by 20 feet, with a full greenhouse measuring 18 by 20 feet attached to it. The greenhouse was subdivided into two sections, one warm and one cool, in order to create environments that would be hospitable for many different species of plants. Students often visited the greenhouse during class hours.
The Insectary’s first floor housed a basic office, a laboratory, and an insecticide room. On the second floor, two storage rooms held all of the equipment needed to keep the Insectary and greenhouse thriving. The basement was the most interesting component of the Insectary: it consisted of the pupa room where larvae were cultivated.
The Insectary started a collection that is still in use to this day, with thousands of recorded larvae that have been noted to be troublesome to Amherst and the surrounding area, including the Buffalo Carpet Beatle. Although the Insectary was used to serve the students of the college, local farmers and growers were allowed to visit anytime they pleased to better understand the insects that were harming their crops.
Years and years have passed and the Insectary no longer exists. The building was demolished in 1966. Although the building is gone, the data on plants and larvae recorded within the building are being archived and used for reference by the students of the Entomology and other natural sciences at the University of Massachusetts to this day.
The building itself was only one and a half stories tall, measuring 28 by 20 feet, with a full greenhouse measuring 18 by 20 feet attached to it. The greenhouse was subdivided into two sections, one warm and one cool, in order to create environments that would be hospitable for many different species of plants. Students often visited the greenhouse during class hours.
The Insectary’s first floor housed a basic office, a laboratory, and an insecticide room. On the second floor, two storage rooms held all of the equipment needed to keep the Insectary and greenhouse thriving. The basement was the most interesting component of the Insectary: it consisted of the pupa room where larvae were cultivated.
The Insectary started a collection that is still in use to this day, with thousands of recorded larvae that have been noted to be troublesome to Amherst and the surrounding area, including the Buffalo Carpet Beatle. Although the Insectary was used to serve the students of the college, local farmers and growers were allowed to visit anytime they pleased to better understand the insects that were harming their crops.
Years and years have passed and the Insectary no longer exists. The building was demolished in 1966. Although the building is gone, the data on plants and larvae recorded within the building are being archived and used for reference by the students of the Entomology and other natural sciences at the University of Massachusetts to this day.
Creator
[no text]
Source
UMass Special Collections and University Archives
Publisher
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Date
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Contributor
[no text]
Rights
[no text]
Relation
[no text]
Format
[no text]
Language
[no text]
Type
[no text]
Identifier
RG150-0004614, RG150-0004615
Coverage
[no text]
Original Format
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Physical Dimensions
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