Whenever the county owns any land situated within the boundaries of a proposed diking district, the county auditor, when so directed by the board of county commissioners of the county in which such lands are situated, is hereby authorized to sign the petition praying for the formation of such diking district for and on behalf and as the act and deed of such county, and when so signed the same shall be considered in determining the question of a majority signature in acreage to the petition for the formation of such district.