Question
I have 9 Bradford pear trees lining one side of my corner lot that were planted 20 years ago.  During this time, only one has been replaced.  The replacement tree (8 years ago) never shaped like all the others (more A-line), plus, the replacement tree had small fruit throughout the entire tree.  None of the other trees had this small fruit until this year.  This year they are covered with small fruit (about the size of a butter bean)so much to the point that the limbs have become extremely heavy.  The shape of these trees has become strained from the top to bottom.  I no longer like the shape and was wondering why the tiny fruit suddenly appeared on all of the trees.  Snow and/or ice this winter will probably destroy these trees.

Answer
Douglas:
There may be some genetic differences in the replacement tree compared to the existing trees. I am sure that the fruit set is a function of tree physiology and environment.

These trees a very popular in my part of the world. Many plant people think that they have become "over-planted" and have become "weeds". Every afternoon when I leave work and drive along our city streets, I see these trees scattered along the roadways that have been spread by seed being dispersed by birds etc.  Granted, they look great for a few years, but then......well that's the rest of the story.

Steve