The letter is dated 17 Dec. 1945 and was found with his book in the Needham Research Institute Library. The poem written by Shi Sheng-han, mentioned by Joseph Needham on page 42 of Science Outpost, is with the loose items now on the Cambridge University Digital Library reference NRI2/5/12/5/47.
The file includes:
- Photocopy of 'A preliminary survey of the book Chhi Min Yao Shu: An agricultural encylopaedia of the 6th century' by Shih Sheng-han. This is a draft translation made by Shih Sheng-han [Shi Shenghan 石声汉] of Chih Min Yao Shu [齊民要書] with Joseph Needham's 'suggestions for improvement of the English text',1957
- Photocopies of material relating to Shi Sheng-han
- Letters found with the collection of Shih Sheng-han’s poetry, sent by his son, including emails with his nephew Shi Kexin 史克炘 to John Moffett (Needham Research Institute Librarian)
- Copies of a line drawing of Shi Sheng-han
- Copy of a Chinese newspaper Xibei Nongda Bao [西北農大報] with the line drawing printed, 15 Sep. 1992
- Correspondence between Gregory Blue (Needham Research Institute), Zhao Wenming [趙文明] and Shih Ting-Ji [Shi Dingji 石定機] , 15 Dec. 1982 - 9 Mar. 1983.