Hi Hive account@gardengranny !!!! :) Thanks for your insight and perspective....you could be right on all of your points. It's perhaps good to have a WIDE VARIETY of options as a gardener. I haven't witnessed what you have as far as no tap root. I've only been doing this about 10 years though. None of my bare root trees have been sick or die as you've described. but..i'm aware of the potentials....and many variables. this is the info from dave's site as far as advantages and disadvantages of certain root stocks. http://www.davewilson.com/product-information-general/rootstock/comparisons

for me...i enjoy trying all methods and theories!!!! so i did just that...about 12 years ago. i ate a peach and and apple and grew them into large trees. they are very happy trees....and produce wonderfully every year...but their fruit tastes nothing like the parents they came from. the peach is mealy...and not sweet. the apples are small...and very tart. i have decade old bare root trees also that are doing quite well...after all this time. so for me...that's my answer to your question as to why not start from seed. the wide variability of offspring. the phenotypic and chemotypic expressions. doesn't mean you won't hit the genetic lottery and get a real winner lol! it's why i went for it and grew from seed. my friend Hive account@gardeningchannel also started apples from seed which grew into small tart apples he calls the prigioni apple. :)) perhaps it comes down to personal opinion...and what amount of time a grower has to commit to seeing and tasting the results. so for me ...i am looking for specific traits in my trees...that i can expect...and repeat year to year. for new growers...if i suggest they grow from seed...they may get good results...and they may not. same with bare root. so many variables. i personally don't recommend a new fruit tree grower start from seed...but that's just little ol' me. :) thanks for stopping by granny. :)