Cascade, or Waterfall, is an important adjunct in landscape gardening, but agreeable only when properly associated with the scenery around; that association is a bold broken ground, and a dense plantation of trees; nothing is more misplaced or tasteless than a sheet of water falling into another uniform collection of water, in an open un-wooded plain. Mr. Whateley justly observes, that "a rill cannot pretend to any sound beyond that of a little waterfall; the roar of a cascade belongs only to larger streams: but it may be introduced by a rivulet to a considerable degree, and attempts to do more have generally been unsuccessful; a vain ambition to imitate nature in her great extravagancies betrays the weakness of art. Though a noble river throwing itself headlong down a precipice be an object truly magnificent, it must however be confessed, that in a single sheet of water there is a formality which its vastness alone can cure, but the height, not the breadth is the wonder: when it falls no more than a few feet, the regularity prevails, and its extent only serves to expose the vanity of affecting the style of a cataract in an artificial cascade; it is less exceptionable if divided into several parts, for then each separate part may be wide enough for its depth; and in the whole, variety, not greatness, will be the predominant character.

But a structure of rough, large, detached stones cannot easily be contrived of strength sufficient to support a great weight of water, it is sometimes from necessity almost smooth and uniform, and then it loses much of its effect: several little falls in succession are preferable to one greater cascade, which in figure, or in motion, approaches to regularity.

"When greatness is thus reduced to number, and length becomes of more importance than breadth, a rivulet vies with a river, and it more frequently runs in a continued declivity, which is very favourable to such a succession of falls. Half the expense and labour which are 6ometime bestowed on a river to give it at the best, a forced precipitancy in any one spot only, would animate a rivulet through the whole of its course; and after all the most interesting circumstance in falling waters, is their animation: a great cascade fills us with surprise, but all surprise must cease; and the motion, the agitation, the rage, the froth, and the variety of the water are finally the objects which engage the attention; for these a rivulet is sufficient, and they may there be produced without that appearance of effort which raises a suspicion of art. To obviate such a suspicion, it may sometimes be expedient to begin the descent out of sight; for the beginning is the difliculty: if that be concealed, the subsequent falls seem but a consequence of the agitation which characterizes the water at its first appearance, and the imagination is, at the same time, let loose to give ideal extent to the cascades; when a stream issues from a wood, such management will have a great effect, the bends of its course in an open exposure may afford frequent opportunities for it, and sometimes a low broad bridge may furnish the occasion, a little fall hid under the arch will create a disorder, in consequence of which, a greater cascade below will appear very natural".