The baker and two assistants produced all the flour-based foods for the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home. Each week the bakery used about 18 barrels of flour, 235 pounds of sugar, 20 gallons of milk, and 172 pounds of shortening (butter and lard). The daily bread requirement was 235 forty-ounce loaves. Cookies were baked in batches of 3,000, biscuits in batches of 2,500, cakes - ginger or pound - were baked Tuesdays and pies - 180 - on Fridays.