You have 2 choices, I figure. You can pull the 2 branches to horizontal and cut the top when it reaches your desired height and get fruit maybe a year sooner from a weird shaped tree. You can make those 2 branches your main frame even, if tree sends out no lower branches, which it probably would. The other is to start the tree over as has been suggested here and shape the tree in the conventional manner. If the tree was just transplanted you may not lose time by doing this- unless the roots were undamaged in transplant (potted tree). Pears are one tree that I think may benefit from aggressive pruning after transplanting (with due respect to C. Whitcomb). They don't transplant well and dehydrate from root damage much more than most species. I have too often had pear trees runt out after transplant when they aren't cut back significantly.

I would lop the top off *immediately* at the height where you want the first main scaffolds to appear. If you don't, then you've just wasted a whole 'nother season, IMHO. Don't worry, you won't kill the tree. Within another month or so, several volunteer "new leaders" will pop out of the main whip. Keep 3 or 4 of them that are spread out in 3 or 4 different directions as your new vase-shape leaders, and remove all others. Keep these 3 or 4 as horizontal as possible for the first year. In future years, you can let them grow vertical but always keep the side branches horizontal. Imagine you are at war with this tree. You will be in a constant need to tie down or otherwise spread the branches by brute force because pears grow extremely vertically. If you ever want fruit, the branches need to be held down in some fashion. The 3 or 4 main leaders need to be kept well spread to form the main vase shape. The first season is most important of all, and maybe the second season as well. After that, just remove branches that grow into the center, and force all other branches down towards horizontal. Get the picture? You're basically at war if you want a vase shape out of a pear.

Rina, The only work I did on this tree was thinning fruits. Too many fruits will snap the branches. I try to graft a new variety anywhere to balance the tree structure. Pear is one of the easiest tree to graft. I choose my varieties from the USDA Corvallis. Scion woods are free and just have to pay for Fedex shipping. They asked you for a reason to obtain the scion woods and I usally told them for a cold hardy trail in Zone 5. In about 5 years then I email them the results. Tony Here is a link that might be useful: USDA / Corvallis

Jennifer, There are many factors that I would consider in choosing varieties of pears or cherries. The rootstock as well as the scion variety should be considered. Factors like amount of pruning needed (and your pruning skill), disease resistance (and possibly pest resistance), planting location (dry or wet area, windy or protected area, etc), productivity (how much fruit you would like from each tree), usage (fresh eating, cooking, storage, etc), pollination requirements (generally you'll need at least two compatible varieties to pollinate each other), and taste are but a few of the factors that usually go into consideration when choosing a variety. The reasons that so many varieties exist is that different choices are best for different situations and different preferences. There really are not perfect choices, and what's right for you, may not be what others have chosen. When I picked out my trees, I concentrated first on disease resistance. After choosing possibilities that would be more likely to avoid some of the most common disease and problems, I narrowed the choices down from there. The primary disease associated with pears is fireblight. I would strongly urge you to ensure that the varieties you choose are resistant to that disease. Other common diseases/problems that affect pears include pear decline, leaf spot, cedar-apple rust (don't let the name fool you), scab, black rot, and bitter rot. For a more complete list, take a look at this list of pear diseases: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pear_diseases Prunus (the genus that contains cherries) is a fairly disease-prone genus. Sweet cherries are even more prone to problems than sour cherries are. Bacterial blight/canker and rain cracking are among the most common cherry issues. For a more complete list, take a look at this list of cherry diseases: http://www.apsnet.org/online/common/comment/cherry.asp I will try to write more later. This is just a fraction of the tip of the iceberg. But before I go to bed, I'll give you a few varieties (there are many many more) that you might consider based on disease resistance / common-problem avoidance: (European) Pears: Magness Moonglow Potomac Seckel Warren Semi-dwarfing & Full-size Pear Rootstock (hopefully, more on this later): OHF87 betulifolia OHF333 Sweet Cherries: Black Gold Black York Regina Sam Sour Cherries: Montmorency Northstar Surefire Semi-dwarfing & Full-size Cherry Rootstock (hopefully, more on this later): Mahaleb Mazzard