Historical clue formulations

• Take up and hold, chemically — 2016-01-09
• Collect on the surface, in chemistry — 2014-06-29
• Gather on the surface, chemically — 2005-11-27
• European fruit tree — 1997-10-26
• Gather on a surface, chemically — 1997-04-24
• Soak up — 1995-01-27
• Take up like a sponge — 1994-08-04