GHOST WATER IN THE -- GROUND? 

Many a farmer or home gardener has watched torrential spring storms stream across his previously parched land, wishing for a way to hold some of that water in the ground for dry summer days ahead. What he needs is "GhostWater"!

When I first saw this product I couldn't believe my eyes. What looked like grains of dry sand, when tossed into a glass of water, became what looked like small slippery ice cubes, 50 times larger than the original grains of sand!

This development has moved polymeric chemistry through another step in molecular crosslinking for a singular purpose: to retain water in soil, in a manner never conceived before.

According to product developers, proper use produces healthier leaf and root systems, increases crop yields and conserves water by reducing irrigation cycles. When these crystals expand in the soil aeration around the root system increases.

Here's how it works: GhostWater polymers absorb several hundred times their own weight and volume in water. As each grain absorbs water, it swells to form a crystalline gel ressembling a small soft ice cube. In the soil, the cubes form tiny reservoirs of water close to the plant root system. These water cells can also absorb watersoluble mixtures such as fertilizers. Consequently, frequency of irrigation and soil additives required are drastically reduced. Plant root systems will naturally grow the hydrated water-filled crystals and migrate toward moister areas in the soil. The hydrated crystalline gel will not dry out before the soil around it does. When the ground around the gel dries out, water from the gel is released.

It is expected that this apparently non-toxic material will reduce watering requirements in agriculture, horticulture and landscaping and will improve soil conditions and crop/plant vitality.

Three different versions are available in the U.S. : Fury, a natural seed starter that increases seed emergence; Blend, a soil enhancer reported to reduce irrigation cycles and chemical fertilizers 30-50 percent; and Organic Conditioner that reportedly contains 18 essential micro nutrients to make soil and plants flourish.

In British Columbia, 180,000 experimental trees and 18,000 ornamentals are being grown with the GhostWater in the Fraser Valley. Only eight crystals are required per potted plant.

In the U.S. the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has judged polymers harmless. Canadian approval is tied up in the dual bureaucractic clearance process of Agriculture Canada and Health & Welfare. Until Canadian approval is received only small quantities (five grams) of the product may be sold. More information: Frank Lucas, GhostWater Inc., PO Box 732, Franktown, Colorado 80116. Phone: 303/688-6570.

Scott Barton, GhostWater Canada, #1710 - 1040 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6E 4H1. Phone: 604/685-8666.

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