The Formation of Artificial Lakes. 77 



object to lii'^ ploastiro grotinds, readies liome with a better knowledge of 

 what he retjuires than if he had considted a dozen landscape gardeners. 



He now selects a valley appropriately margined, approximate to a 

 running stream. Where necessary, the banks are sloped, declivities ai-e 

 formed, and peninsulas are raised where they do not naturally exist, gentle 

 slopes appear, trees are planted where required, and others are partially 

 undermined in order to give them a direction towards the future lake, all 

 of which being satistactorily accomplished, the dam that is to retain the 

 water is thrown across, «nd then planted with rapid-growing trees. If 

 the proprietor is impatient to witness the effect, large ti-ees can be re- 

 moved in the winter season, with balls of earth attached ; the.se can be 

 obtained from their native haunts and replanted, with scarce a perceptible 

 diminution in subsequent vigor t(» that which they previou.sly exhibited. 

 If needs be, the dam can be so arranged as to afford a cascade, supplied 

 by the overflow- This feature, like the lake, had better be copied from 

 nature herself; otherwi.se, an artificial expression will be apparent, 

 detracting and mai-ring the surrounding natural beauties. The use of 

 rock-work is admissible in constructing a waterfall, from the fact of its 

 being the only material capable of resisting the continued wear of the 

 water. The rocks should not be too large nor of equal size, neither 

 should they occupy such position as to permit the water to fall perpen- 

 dicularly ; on the contrary, the arrangement should be suf h as to graduate 

 the descent by a succession of abrupt terminations, varying in height and 

 length. The course of the cascade must not be on a straight line from 

 the lake, but perform part of a circle : or, if the contiguous objects are 

 con.sonant and the locality propitious, a sudden detour from a .straight line 

 will provoke a highly picturesque effect. 'The rushing, gurgling sounds 

 emitted by water tumbling and foaming down a rocky descent, as if in a 

 terrible rage at the resistance offered by projecting stones, produce a 

 soothing effect, upon the mind of a chance listener, of no evanescent 

 character ; and where the surrounding woods are of a wild description, 

 and birds fond of solitude utter their shrill, prolonged notes, as the 

 cuckoo and blue jay, the effect is much heightened. But our digression 

 from the special subject under treatment is already too long. 



To return to the lake : We will suppose that the arrangements of 

 shore are completed. Attention is next directed to the most expeditious 

 and at the same time most beautiful method of letting in the water. In 

 the first place, the temporary dyke, which has prevented the flowing 

 element from interfering with previous operations, should be removed. 



