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ever occurred before. He said it had only once in his 30 years here. A similar and equally destructive wave of mice began in 1899, reached their greatest abundance in ^[[the fall & winter of]] 1900, and suddenly disappeared about March or April of 1901. He figured out the dates very carefully and they agree with what others had previously told me in less detail. He says the alfalfa crop was practically ruined and the land had to be reseeded.

Many people poisoned extensively at that time, but did not succeed in saving their crop, while those who did not poison were so much ahead.

Mr. Anker also tells me that the gulls "have always been here" and that they fly over the fields all summer, especially when the land is being irrigated. He thinks they stay most of the winter.