Never heard that one. All the info I have is that you prune newly planted ones when planting and established ones in Winter when dormant.

Hi Owdboggy, that's what I told him, can't imagine why you woul prune any fruit tree 4 times a year, Derek.

I understood you pruned once a year in late winter making sure you do not prune off the fruiting spurs.

Hi Mg, yes me too, Derek

Maybe if it was a formal espalier, but that isn't what you said. On a normal tree, I would do minimal pruning for the first three or four years, just to establish the structure and correct crossing branches, etc. Afterwards, I would head back and thin out about 1/5 of the longest minor branches once a year, to keep the tree in practical size, and allow regeneration of fruiting wood. You could just let it grow, but that will make harvesting, and disease and pest management, harder later.

I only know of 2 pruning times for pear & apple trees, summer & winter.
If your label says 4 times then what are the instructions for this?
Pruning is important because it will define the shape of the tree for the future.
Summer pruning on a young pear tree is done for several reasons; to establish either a bowl shape (when the leader is cut & 4 branches grow out from the centre) or upright (leader is kept & 3 branches allowed to grow to form the first tier).
It is also done to encourage the tree to form fruiting spurs by cutting back current years growth by 1/3.
*Summer pruning for pears is done in mid June - no later* so it's too late now anyway.

I've just had a thought .... has your B in L or a close neighbour got another pear tree in the same pollination group as unless the tree is a Conference it will likely be self-sterile.

Thanks for the comments, but I haven't actually seen the tree, but by what my brother in law said, it's just a normal pear tree, and there's no pear tree near him, but he didn't say which variety he has been given, no doubt he will be telephoning again, asking for advice. Derek.

I hope the info above is helpful, Derek, I'd be interested to know what that label says too.