SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report: April 21, 1995
RALSTON PURINA COMPANY
----------------------------------------------------
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
MISSOURI 1-4582
No. 43-0470580
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
(State or Other (Commission
(IRS Employer
Jurisdiction of File
Number) Identification
Incorporation)
Number
CHECKERBOARD SQUARE, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
63164
------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
(Address of Principal Executive
Offices (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
(314)982-1000
-------------------<PAGE>
PAGE 2
Item 5. Other Events
On April 12, 1995, the Company released the following
statement to the public:
"St. Louis, Missouri, April 12, 1995 . . . Ralston Purina
Company announced that its Board of Directors at a meeting
today authorized the exchange of each outstanding share of
the Company's Ralston-Continental Baking Group Common Stock
("CBG Stock") for .0886 shares of the Company's Ralston-
Ralston Purina Group Common Stock ("RPG Stock"), as provided
in Ralston's Restated Articles of Incorporation. The
exchange will be effective as of May 15, 1995. The number
of shares of RPG Stock to be received by each holder of CBG
Stock in the exchange represents 115 percent of the average
ratio of the market price of the CBG Stock to the market
price of the RPG Stock for the period March 31 through April
6, 1995, as provided in Ralston's Articles."
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to
be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly
authorized.
RALSTON PURINA COMPANY
By: JAMES R. ELSESSER
---------------------------
-----------------
James R. Elsesser
Vice President and
Chief Financial
Officer
Dated: April 21, 1995<PAGE>
