In 1873, botany professor W. J. Beal becomes one of the pioneers in the development of hybrid corn, and doubles the yield of corn plantings at the time. ﾓAfter studying with Louis Agassiz at Harvard, Beal went on to Michigan Agricultural College and there produced the first controlled crosses of maize (scientists are wont to call corn ﾓmaizeﾔ) ﾅ he discovered that doubling the crossings disproportionately increased yield, turning eight-rowed Indian corn into twenty-four-rowed hybrid corn.