Volume 6. Part III of Science and Civilisation in China contains two separate works. The first, by Christian Daniels, is a comprehensive history of Chinese sugar cane technology from ancient times to the early twentieth century. The second, by Nicholas K. Menzies, is a history of forestry in China.

Foreword Joseph Needham; Section 42a: Agro-Industries: Sugar Cane Technology: (a) Introduction: general characteristics of agro-industries in China; (b) Sugar cane and sugar: consumption and production in China; (c) Sugar cane clones, species and origins; (d) Sugar cane agriculture; (e) Cane sugar manufacture; (f) Transfer of Chinese sugar-making technology to East and South-East Asia; (g) Epilogue and overview; Bibliographies. Section 42b: Forestry: (a) Introduction; (b) Taxonomy and identification of major forestry species; (c) Silviculture and forest management; (d) Harvesting and transport; (e) Premonitions of ecology; (f) Forestry in Chinese society; Bibliography; General index.