It is always best to wash a ham the evening before the day it is to be cooked, and let it soak in water all night. In the morning cover it well with water, and keep it boiling until ready to dish up dinner. If the bone on the under side comes out easily the ham is done. You may remove the outside skin or not. The prettiest way of serving a ham is to take off the skin after it is thoroughly boiled, to grate bread-crumbs thickly over the top, and brush the whole over with the yolks of eggs. Then put it into an oven, and let it brown thoroughly. If while boiling it is found necessary to add more water to the ham, be sure that the water is boiling, for cold water will inevitably make the meat tough.