title: reading ascii file in R
body: <p>I am trying to read a file (ascii) in R using read.table 
   The file looks like the following:</p>
  
  <pre><code>  DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPARATURE  
    YEAR DAY MT DT   LAT. 66.5   67.5   68.5   69.5   70.5
    1969 001 01 01   6.5  99.90  99.90  31.90  99.90  99.90 
    1969 001 01 01   7.5  99.90  20.90  99.90  99.90  23.90
    1969 001 01 01   8.5  99.90  99.90  30.90  99.90  18.90
    .....
    ..... 
    YEAR DAY MT DT   LAT. 66.5   67.5   68.5   69.5   70.5
    1969 001 01 02   6.5  21.90  99.90  99.90  99.90  99.90 
    1969 001 01 02   7.5  99.90  33.90  99.90  99.90  99.90
    1969 001 01 02   8.5  99.90  99.90  15.90  99.90  99.90
    .....
    .....
    YEAR DAY MT DT   LAT. 66.5   67.5   68.5   69.5   70.5
    1969 001 01 03   6.5  99.90  99.90  99.90  99.90  99.90 
    1969 001 01 03   7.5  99.90  99.90  99.90  99.90  99.90
    1969 001 01 03   8.5  99.90  99.90  99.90  99.90  99.90
    .....
    .....
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I read it using:</p>
  
  <pre><code>inp=read.table("MAXT1969.TXT",skip=1,header=T)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The file has been read and the contents are in the variable inp.</p>
  
  <p>I have 2 questions -</p>
  
  <p>I. the command to see the first 5 columns gives some extra information along with the desired output,
     for example, inp[1,5] gives the following output:</p>
  
  <pre><code>&gt; inp[1,5]
    "[1] 6.5
    33 Levels: 10.5 11.5 12.5 13.5 14.5 15.5 16.5 17.5 18.5 19.5 20.5 21.5 ... LAT."
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I don't want the extra info but only the value. Where I am going wrong?</p>
  
  <p>II. After every 32 rows, I've a header (YEAR DAY ....). How to ignore reading the header at regular intervals?</p>