The results of investigations of the magnetic properties of soils, including measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of the main types of soils, specimens of which were taken from different soil levels and in different regions of the former USSR, are presented. In addition to measurements of the magnetic susceptibility, investigations were also made of the dependence of the magnetic properties of soils on the density, moisture content, temperature, and the action of short-term gamma radiation. The role of primary and secondary soil minerals in soil magnetism is discussed.