a conveyor belt or blower in another alternative embodiment the dispenser may itself be a conveyor adapted to receive and convey material from a hopper to a trench such as described by finn u s pat no 2 949 871 with the rate of material deposit controlled by altering the speed of the conveyor other metering mechanisms may be used as well in accordance with another alternative embodiment the metering mechanism may be a simple swinging gate positioned across dispenser chute 20 with control of flow achieved by changing the position of the gate concurrent with the deposition of waste material into the trench borrow soil removed by the trench cutter is replaced into the trench by backfiller 30 where it is combined with the deposited waste material to fill the trench the construction of the backfiller 30 is not critical and a variety of suitable devices may be used in accordance with one preferred embodiment backfiller 30 includes one or more spiders positioned on each side of trench cutter 11 shown in more detail in fig2 a and b each spider has a rapidly rotating axle 31 having a plurality arcuate projections or tines 32 rotating in the direction of travel of the apparatus 10 and oriented with the plane of the tines being transverse to the line of the trench so as to engage the pile of soil removed by the trench cutter 11 and direct the same into the trench to aid in moving the soil small projecting feet or lips 33 are preferably attached.