So are the thousands of older cultivars that didn't withstand shipping or long storage, or weren't "pretty enough" in someone's eyes, or just didn't get recognized by a commercial nursery. And they were good apples, some much better than the half dozen or so cultivars you get in most US grocery stores today.
A cross between an ornamental pear of unknown parentage and the Bosc in my grandparents' backyard. Grandpa helped me make it (I was all of 4 or 5 at the time), and then we grew out the seeds. And it wasn't a bad pear at all. Finally succumbed to fireblight many years later.
Doubt that... old roads, old fencelines, and most of them don't look anything like currently favored cultivars.
Sure. Have you tasted some of the "wild" apples being currently imported for germplasm use? Some really good stuff there.
If you
Yes, because people who actually bother to name cultivars are likely to be working with a subset of plants that have something they're trying to improve upon. But chance seedlings play a part, too.... go back in the parentage and you'll find a lot of "unnamed seedling x cox's orange pippin" sorts of entries.
IAnd I'd argue, as an old educator, that learning that everything doesn't work the way you think it might is a much more important lesson (in gardening, in life, in science) than success at growing a "kit tree".
Doesn't take that much effort to grow a seedling tree to bearing size, if they can make it through the winter in a planter (a relatively hostile environment.) Back to the OP's question... insulate that planter, cuddle it up against the house, and make sure it doesn't dry out or have standing water in it this winter. Then enjoy what you get with your kids.
Me? I'm a retired botanist. My grandfather, who originally got me interested in gardening, used to take me on day trips for such things as hunting for the stump of the first 'Delicious' apple tree, or over to look at the crab apple test orchard a friend ran. Learning to look and examine and ask questions and perservere are good life lessons you can learn from a little amateur plant breeding, imo.
Kay