saving seed from a fruit tree

Is it worth it - they take forever to produce and then there is no guarantee you will end up with the same fruit. What did people do before when nurseries didn't sell grafted stock?

What did people do? My grandfather is probably an excellent example. They grew seedlings plants - apples, pears, etc, and bought, borrowed, begged scions to graft onto them from other gardeners.
My grandfather was an apprentice gardener in his youth, in england, and continued here both professionally and in his and our families gardens. He grafted many fruit trees and roses in his time. Then it was just a matter of knowing someone who had the variety you wanted. Sharing plants and pieces of plants was much more common then, I think, than now.
Cheers, Jan

Well I had a look about for info on grafting. Found this article that explains how to remove one of the scaffolding branches down low with a saw and then cut small wedges into the side of the sawn edges to insert scion wood. There's an old lemon tree I could practise this method on but would have to get scion wood from somewhere - easy enough I suppose.

Interesting - I think I would need to be fairly confident about what I was doing to invest in the necessary wound dressings etc. By the time I spent the money on the proper grafting tools etc I might be better off popping down to my nearest fruit tree nursery.

http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/horticulture/H-00-049.htm

Petty's Apple Orchard in conjunction with the Melbourne Permaculture Group hold a grafting day every year where they sell scions of heritage varieties at a dollar a piece and will even graft it to rootstock for you or show you how it's done for you to do it on your own tree.

What a great service - never thought about a permaculture group being able to help in that way - be great if someone around here was doing it - not likely I suppose but will ask around - thanks Guzzigirl