In 1861, the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) annual seed distribution exceeded 2.4 million packages of seed (containing five packets of different varieties).

The flow of seed reached its highest volume in 1897 (USDA management) – with more than 1.1 billion packets of seed distributed.

The U.S. Government first became involved in new plant introductions in 1825 when President John Quincy Adams directed U.S. Consuls to forward rare plants and seeds to the State Department for propagation and distribution.