A CONTINUOUS DIGESTING APPARATUS PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR SMALL PARTICLE SIZE CELLULOSIC MATERIAL SUCH AS SAWDUST, COMPRISING AN IMPREGNATION VESSEL WHEREIN THE CELLULOSIC MATERIAL IS FIRST INTERMIXED AND IMPREGNATED WITH HEATED COOKING LIQUOR AND THEREAFTER HEATED BY STEAM TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW COOKING TEMPERATURE, A MIXING VESSEL WHEREIN THE IMPREGNATED CELLULOSIC MATERIAL IS AGITATED AND THENCE HEATED BY STEAM TO COOKING TEMPERATURE, AND A COOKING VESSEL WHEREIN THE COOK IS PERFORMED. ALSO,

A METHOD FOR DIGESTING SMALL PARTICLE SIZE CELLULOSIC MATERIAL THROUGH THE EMPLOYMENT OF THIS APPARATUS.