With fuel prices heading out of sight, two products -- a water indicator paste which turns red when it comes into contact with water, and water eating cartridges which absorb water but not petroleum products -- are gaining quick acceptance among farmers with large, on-farm storage tanks.

Just smear Weil Products' green Detex paste on the end of a gauge pole and slip it into your tank. The paste turns red in water and, since water settles to the bottom in gas or diesel fuel, you can measure exactly how much water is in the tank.

Detex paste comes in 2 1/2 oz. jars and you use "just a dab at a time", according to R. A. Weil, sales manager. Another paste product that does just the opposite -- it finds gas or diesel fuel in water tanks.

Once you know you've got water in your fuel tanks, how do you get it out? If you pump it out, you'll waste fuel. And, if you empty the tank completely, you'll waste time and labor. One alternative is Potter water-eater cartridges which absorb water on contact, yet do not pick up oil, gasoline, kerosene, turpentine or other liquids less dense than water.

You just tie the water-eater to a string, lower it to the bottom of the tank and leave it for several minutes. Each cartridge absorbs up to 1 lb. of water. They can be dried and reused indefinitely.