I think their point is that apple seeds don’t grow true to their parent, so every single sprout from a seed is essentially a new variety, and they are continual

I think their point is that apple seeds don’t grow true to their parent, so every single sprout from a seed is essentially a new variety, and they are continually created and lost -- the genetic line is not extinct, these are all the same plant. Capturing a large collection of palatable apples is fun, but framing this as some sort of historical preservation is kind of tenuous.