What happens
Ranger Bill and Henry collect frozen soil samples in the forest to find a deficiency that is affecting the trees, and deliver them to Professor Thaddeus Draper's chemistry lab at the State University. There Draper's grandson Melvin, who is developing his grandfather's explosive theory, is caught between Draper's wish that he become a research chemist and his own interest in agricultural chemistry. Bill is drawn into the family disagreement, which leads to a cattle-feed experiment and a conflict among the professors over Melvin's abilities. This is the Ranger Bill radio series, and the story is still unfolding in the part of the episode covered here.
A winter forest and the State University campus, including the chemistry lab, a ranch, and the professors' offices.
Characters: Ranger Bill, Henry, Stumpy, Gray Wolf, Professor Thaddeus Draper, Melvin Draper, Dr. Horace Pendleton, Alden Temple
Listen for: Melvin's growing conflict with his grandfather and the professors' verdict on Melvin's abilities.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.