The broad white of St. George, as we now see it, was not dependent upon any heraldic description, but is an heirloom of national descent, and was evidently continued by the designers of 1801 in its full proportion of the Union flag, not only to represent, as previously, the white ground of the English Jack, but also for the additional reason that it represents the white ground of the Irish Jack, which they were then adding to the Union flag. By this method the proportionate representation of the Jacks of the three kingdoms was intended and justified. Another objection raised to the proportions of the present flag, by those on the side of the heraldic interpretation of the "blazon," is that the individual crosses are of less width in proportion to the size of the flag than they should be according to heraldic rules, and that, therefore, the dividing of the flag is incorrect. We need again to be reminded that the flag makers were not simply placing three "crosses" upon a single flag, but were joining three "Jacks" into one Union Jack; yet it may be satisfactory to see that in the doing of this they have really fulfilled the rules of heraldry. According to the received rules of strict heraldry, in emblazoning a shield or a banner, a cross should be given one-third, and a saltire be given one-fifth of the width. On a shield this measurement of width is taken across the top, and on a banner or a flag it is measured perpendicularly along the flagstaff. Applying this rule and measurement to our present Union Jack, and taking, as in fact they are, the red cross of St. George and its two borders as _one cross_, and the two saltire crosses of St. Andrew and St. Patrick and their two borders as _one saltire_, we shall find that the heraldic rules have been actually complied with by the official "draft" and by the regulations (Fig. 51), and that the combined cross is _one-third_, and the combined saltire _one-fifth_, of the width of the flag. SIZES OF THE CROSSES ACCORDING TO THE ADMIRALTY REGULATIONS. ONE COMBINED CROSS: Red Cross of St. George, 1/5 of width 3/15 Upper white border, 1/3 of 3/15 1/15 Lower white border, 1/3 of 3/15 1/15 ---- 5/15 = 1/3 (One-third.) ONE COMBINED SALTIRE: Red of St. Patrick, 1/3 of 3/15 1/15 White border of St. Patrick, 1/6 of 3/15 1/30 Broad white of St. Andrew, 1/2 of 3/15 3/30 ---- 6/30 = 1/5 (One-fifth.) It may be convenient to state these proportions as they would be in a Union Jack, of which the width on the flagstaff is 5 feet: