With the establishment of free trade, however, between the islands and the United States the Manila cigar has been able to compete with other cigars in the United States, by far the greatest market therefor. This fact accounts for the unprecedented steady increase of the amount of cigars exported from the islands. In 1904 the exports amounted to 104,753,000 cigars, valued at P2,011,790. In 1919 the exports had risen to 392,339,000 worth P18,157,707. [The Tobacco Region] Although tobacco is grown in many parts of the islands, all that which is exported comes from the Provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya, in northern Luzon. All grown elsewhere is consumed locally, also exported to European and other countries. The tobacco growing districts in these three provinces lie in the valley of the Cagayan River, a stream which is about 160 miles long. The valley is from 2 to 14 miles wide. During the rainy season, which is between the time that one crop is harvested and the next one planted, the Cagayan River rises to a height of 40 feet inundating all of the lowlands. This overflow never fails, and it always leaves on the valley a deposit of rich soil, renewing the fertility of the entire valley and making the use of fertilizers unnecessary. On one field in Cagayan Valley, crops have been produced without interruption and without fertilizer for one hundred and thirty-five years. [Government control and Guaranty] No cigar in the world today is produced under such carefully prepared and rigidly enforced regulations as the Manila cigar. The Philippine government has assumed control of the industry, has established invariable standards of excellence, and has guaranteed the production under its own official stamp. If you will examine the next box of Manila cigars you see, you will find that it bears a label stating that its contents are guaranteed by the Philippine government. One of the regulations enforced provides that, under certain limitations, cigars which reach the American dealer in a damaged condition may be returned to the Philippines at the expense of the Philippine government. Another regulation is to the following effect: "To be up to the standard established by the Government, Philippine cigars are required to be made from good, clean, selected tobacco, properly cured and seasoned, exclusively the product of the Provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya, well made with suitable spiral wrapper and with long filler from which must have been removed all stems dust, scrap or sun-burned tobacco; cigars to be properly assorted and packed in clean receptacles of wood not before used, manufactured from native wood known as Calantas or from imported cedar. No cigars made between sunset and sunrise may be graded as standard." [The Cigar Factories]