HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL
-------------------
                                                       August  30,  2000


               DEFERRAL OF POTENTIAL EXECUTIVE INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN AWARD
               (formerly known as"1998 Leveraged Incentive Plan Award" (LIP))

As  a  participant  in the Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (EICP), you may
defer,  with the approval of management, any EICP award which may become 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  EICP award in order to effect the deferral for Federal and
State  income  tax  purposes.  (PLEASE  NOTE  THAT  DEFERRED EICP AWARDS WILL BE
SUBJECT  TO  MEDICARE HI TAXES.)   Deferrals of Executive Incentive Compensation
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 EICP 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 Executive
Incentive  Compensation  Plan award payable on September 30, 2001.  The deferral
of  the  EICP  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
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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 EICP 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.  EICP awards that are not deferred will
also  be  included in the definition of "final average earnings".  Both deferred
and  non-deferred  EICP  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>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     EXECUTIVE INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN (EICP)
AUGUST  30,  2000           DEFERRAL  ELECTION                     ATTACHMENT  3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please  submit  my  request  as  follows with respect to the Executive Incentive
Compensation  Plan  (EICP) 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 EICP  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 EICP
                      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 EICP 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 EICP  AWARD  SHORT  TERM,
            ---------------------------------------------------------------
            DO NOT COMPLETE ITEM  #3.
            -------------------------


            I elect  to  receive  _____% of my EICP 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 EICP 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  ANYEICP  DEFERRAL
                 ----------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I UNDERSTAND THAT ANY DECISION REGARDING ANY EICP 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