Black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S P.) trees have semi-serotinous cones and disperse seed over a period of years, a fact that suggests possible difficulty in seed release. Reported seed yields per cone are variable, and operational extraction yields are low. It is hypothesized that this could be attributed partially to incomplete extraction. The studies reported herein have shown that actual seed complements within cones are similar to theoretical estimates, ranging from 50 to 110 seeds per cone. The need to improve extraction technology is suggested, especially for genetically improved sources. Key words: black spruce, Picea mariana, cones, cone scales, seeds, seed yield, seeds per cone