Mat
What is baffling about it?
Used to not be canned biscuits, frozen waffles, or boxed cake mixes heck fresh loaves of bread were scarce and expensive.
When I was a youngster too small to be in the cow lot before daylight,(they milked @ 120 cows by hand every morning and evening) one of my chores was helping Granny, I used to watch and help her making breakfast for 20-30 people depending on the season. A 50 pound sack of flour lasted @ a week.
http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/feedsacks.htmThe above link is a bit of history for flour and feed sacks.
Again Just my ¢¢'s
Marshall