…do not know the meaning of the term, what “palming” is. It is simply taking anything in one hand, and apparently placing it in the other, when all the time it is retained in the first hand.
Now, to do this effectively is exceedingly difficult, and perhaps no sleight-of-hand requires more practice. Let a learner of the art of conjuring take any article—a cork perhaps is as good as anything to begin with—and try and palm it; and suppose, to start with, he palms it from the right hand into the left.

First take the cork between the finger and thumb of the right hand, and in pretending to place it in the left hand, shut the left hand, but keep the knuckles bulging out as if there was really something in it, and at the same time retain the cork in the right hand, concealed in the palm as much as possible.

Bear in mind. First: To hold the left hand naturally. To do this, place the cork, or whatever is being palmed, really in it, and see how the hand looks, and then imitate as nearly as possible the position…

If you do fail, remember a golden maxim, stick to your reins, unless your horse kicks you or you are stunned by the fall.

Throw your heart over a fence, and the horse will be pretty sure to follow…

Extract from The Popular Recreator, Topic: Legerdemain, section i, page 148.