August  30,  2000

HIGHLY  CONFIDENTIAL
--------------------

Leveraged  Incentive  Plan  Participants

            DEFERRAL OF POTENTIAL 1998 LEVERAGED INCENTIVE PLAN AWARD

As a participant in the 1998 Leveraged Incentive Plan (LIP), you may defer,
with the  approval  of management, any 1998 LIP award which may be payable at
the end of  fiscal  year  2001.

Elections  to defer must be made sufficiently in advance of the determination of
the  amount  of  the  LIP  award in order to effect the deferral for Federal and
State  income  tax  purposes.  (PLEASE  NOTE  THAT  DEFERRED  LIP AWARDS WILL BE
SUBJECT  TO  MEDICARE  HI  TAXES.)   Deferrals  of 1998 Leveraged Incentive Plan
awards  can  be  made  into  any  of  the fund options available in the Deferred
Compensation  Plan  for  Key Employees.  See enclosed Deferred Compensation Plan
Prospectus  which  details  the  provisions  of those fund options.  Please note
Attachment  2,  Factors  to  Consider,  for  additional  information.

If  the  peer  group performance described in the plan is met and the Peer Group
Award becomes payable, the Peer Group Award will be mandatorily deferred for all
Plan  participants  in  Ralston  Purina  stock equivalents in the Ralston Purina
Equity  Fund.

NO  COMPANY  MATCH  WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ANY LIP AWARD DEFERRALS INTO THE EQUITY
FUND.

In  making  your  election,  please  carefully  review  the  attached  Deferred
Compensation  Plan  Prospectus  and  the Factors to Consider.  Keep in mind that
YOUR  ELECTION  MAY  NOT BE CHANGED even if circumstances, such as your personal
financial  situation,  interest  rates,  or the price of or dividends on Ralston
Common  Stock  change  in  the  future.

REQUEST  FOR  DEFERRAL
----------------------

PLEASE RETURN ONE COPY OF THE ELECTION FORM (ATTACHMENT 3) BY SEPTEMBER 30, 2000
WHETHER OR NOT YOU WISH TO REQUEST A DEFERRAL.
---------------------------------------------   A duplicate form is attached for
your  records.  Your election must be received by the Compensation Department no
later  than  September  30,  2000  or you will not be eligible to defer any 1998
Leveraged  Incentive  Plan award payable on September 30, 2001.  The deferral of
the  1998  LIP  award  is  at the discretion of management and is subject to its
approval.

If  you  have  any  questions,  please  call  me  at  extension  5889.




                                                 Pat  Robbins
Attachments

<PAGE>

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August  30,  2000         FACTORS  TO  CONSIDER                   ATTACHMENT 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Under  current  Federal  and State income tax laws, you will not be taxed on any
deferral  amounts  or  any earnings on those deferral amounts until you actually
receive  payments  of  cash.  At  that  time, amounts received would be taxed as
ordinary income in the year received.  If you are subject to the income tax laws
of a foreign country, you should consult your personal tax advisor regarding the
proper  tax  treatment.

All  wages,  without  limit,  and  whether  or  not deferred, are subject to the
Medicare  Hospital  Insurance  (HI)  Tax  of 1.45% (a component of FICA).  Since
deferred  compensation  is subject to the HI Tax, THE HI TAX ATTRIBUTABLE TO ANY
PORTION  OF THE LIP AWARD YOU ELECT TO DEFER WILL BE WITHHELD FROM YOUR DECEMBER
2001  PAYCHECK.

The  Purina  Retirement  Plan  definition  of  "final average earnings" includes
deferred  compensation.  Therefore,  under  the terms of that plan, your pension
will  be calculated to include deferred compensation, subject to the overall IRS
plan compensation limit of $170,000.  LIP awards that are not deferred will also
be  included  in  the definition of "final average earnings".  Both deferred and
non-deferred  LIP  awards  are also included in the definition of "final average
earnings"  for purposes of the Supplemental Retirement Plan, if you are eligible
to  participate  in  that  Plan.

If  you are a participant in the Savings Investment Plan (SIP), amounts deferred
will  not  be  included  in your compensation for purposes of computing your SIP
      ---
contribution  or  the Company matching contribution.  Please note, however, that
your  SIP contributions are deducted from the Short-Term Prime Rate cash payment
made  in  January to active participants.  The Executive SIP, however, does take
into  account  any  compensation  that  is subject to a MANDATED, rather than an
elective,  deferral.

In  evaluating  the Ralston Purina Equity Fund, consider the length of time your
investment  in  stock  equivalents subjects your deferral to market risks.  Also
consider  long-range  economic  and  political  conditions, the prospects of the
business  underlying the stock, and whether the Company will be willing and able
to  declare  and  pay  dividends  to  create  dividend  equivalents.

The  Prime  Rate  Fund will credit interest equivalents on your deferred amounts
daily  based  on  the  average  of  the  close  of  business prime rates.  These
equivalents  may  vary  substantially  depending  on  changes in interest rates.

The  Vanguard  measurement  funds offer flexibility and generally mirror the SIP
funds.  These  funds  are used for measurement purposes only.  Your account will
be  credited  with investment returns based on these funds but will be reflected
as  a bookkeeping entry only and will not represent an actual investment made on
your  behalf.  Again, consider all the factors above before selecting a deferral
into  one  of  these  funds.

With  the  exception  of  any  peer group awards which are mandatorily deferred,
transfers  are  available to any of the funds. Transfers can be made at any time
by  contacting Compensation Resource Group (CRG).  For more information, you may
contact  CRG  at  1-800-405-0911.

Benefits  under  The  Deferred Compensation Plan for Key Employees are unfunded.
In  considering  the  options,  you  should  note  that  your  right  to receive
distributions  from  the  Plan  is  that of a general creditor of Ralston Purina
Company.

Consider your deferral participation carefully and consult your personal advisor
if  you  have any questions.  Please refer to the enclosed Deferred Compensation
Plan  Prospectus  for  more  details.

YOUR  ELECTION  TO  DEFER  MAY  NOT  BE  CHANGED  FOR  ANY  REASON.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

<PAGE>

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                         LEVERAGED INCENTIVE PLAN (LIP)
AUGUST  30,  2000             DEFERRAL  ELECTION                  ATTACHMENT  3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please submit my request as follows with respect to the 1998 Leveraged Incentive
Plan  (LIP)  award  which  may  become  payable to me as of  September 30, 2001:




CHECK  ONE  BOX  BELOW:


______     NO DEFERRAL   Check  here if you do not wish to defer any portion of
                         any 1998  LIP  cash  incentive  award.
                         Ignore  items  1)  2) and 3) and proceed to bottom
                         section.

______     DEFERRAL      Check  here  if you wish to defer any portion of any
                         1998 LIP  cash  incentive  award.
                         Complete  items  1)  2)  and  3)  and  the  bottom
                         section.

     1)     FILL  IN  ONE  BLANK  ONLY:

          Defer _______% OR

          Defer all up to $_____________ OR

          Defer all in excess of $___________

     2)   I elect to receive  ______% of my LIP deferral amount as a short-term
payout  in  January,  2002 with interest calculated under the terms of the Prime
Rate  Fund,  payable  in lump sum.  IF YOU CHOOSE TO DEFER 100% OF YOUR ELIGIBLE
                                    --------------------------------------------
LIP  AWARD  SHORT  TERM,  DO  NOT  COMPLETE  ITEM  #3.
  ----------------------------------------------------

I  elect  to  receive  _____%  of my LIP deferral amount as an intermediate-term
payout in January, _____ (indicate any year beginning in 2004 or later), payable
in  lump  sum.

I  elect  to  receive  _____% of my LIP deferral amount as a retirement payment.

     3)     Please  allocate  the  amount  indicated  in  item  1)  above to the
following  account(s):

            ______%  RALSTON  PURINA     ______%  VANGUARD
                       EQUITY FUND                 INTERNATIONAL GROWTH FUND

            ______%  PRIME RATE FUND     ______%  VANGUARD LIFESTRATEGY
                                                   INCOME  FUND

            ______%  VANGUARD            ______%  VANGUARD LIFESTRATEGY
                      WELLINGTON FUND              CONSERVATIVE GROWTH FUND

            ______%  VANGUARD 500 INDEX  ______%  VANGUARD LIFESTRATEGY
                       FUND                        MODERATE GROWTH FUND

            ______%  VANGUARD WINDSOR    ______%  VANGUARD LIFESTRATEGY
                      II FUND                      GROWTH FUND

            ______%  VANGUARD SMALL-CAP  100%
                        INDEX  FUND      ---


                   THERE  IS  NO  COMPANY  MATCH  ON  ANY  LIP  DEFERRAL
                   -----------------------------------------------------

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I UNDERSTAND THAT ANY DECISION REGARDING ANY 1998 LIP CASH INCENTIVE AWARD THAT
MAY BE PAID TO ME AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2001 OR DEFERRED FOR FUTURE PAYMENT IS AT
THE DISCRETION OF  MANAGEMENT  AND  THE  HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE.  I FURTHER
UNDERSTAND  THAT  AN  ELECTION  TO  DEFER,  ONCE  MADE,  IS  IRREVOCABLE.
                                                             ------------


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Social  Security  Number             Signature


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Today's Date                         Name (Type  or  Print)


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Department                           Office  Location           Extension


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Home  Street  Address                City        State                Zip


          RETURN TO COMPENSATION DEPARTMENT  - 1A, ST. LOUIS, MO
                  NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 30, 2000