Any or all of said defendants may appear jointly or separately, and admit or deny the allegations of said petition, and plead any affirmative matter in defense thereof, at the time and place appointed for hearing said petition, or to which the same may have been adjourned. If the court or judge thereof shall have satisfactory proof that all of the defendants in said action have been duly served with said summons, as above provided, and shall be further satisfied by competent proof that said improvement is practicable, and conducive to the public health, welfare, and convenience, and will increase the value of said lands for the purpose of public revenue, and that the contemplated use for which the land, real estate, premises, or other property sought to be appropriated is really a public use, and that the land, real estate, premises, or other property sought to be appropriated are required and necessary for the establishment of said improvement, the court or judge thereof shall cause a jury of twelve qualified persons to be impaneled to assess the damages and benefits as herein provided, if in attendance upon his or her court; and if not, he or she may, if satisfied that the public interests require the immediate construction of said improvement, direct the sheriff of his or her county to summon from the citizens of the county in which said petition is filed as many qualified persons as may be necessary in order to form a jury of twelve persons, unless the parties to the proceedings consent to a less number, such number to be not less than three, and such consent shall be entered by the clerk in the minutes of the trial. If necessary to complete the jury in any case, the sheriff, under direction of the court or judge thereof, shall summon as many qualified persons as may be required to complete the jury from the citizens of the county in which the petition is filed. In case a special jury is summoned, the cost thereof shall be taxed as part of the costs in the proceeding, and paid by the district seeking to appropriate said land, the same as other costs in the case; and no person shall be competent as a juror who is a resident of, or landowner in, the district seeking to appropriate said land. The jurors at such trial shall make in each case a separate assessment of damages which shall result to any person, corporation or company, or to the state, by reason of the appropriation and use of such land, real estate, premises, or other property for said improvement, and shall ascertain, determine, and award the amount of damages to be paid to said owner or owners, respectively, and to all tenants, incumbrancers, and others interested, for the taking or injuriously affecting such land, real estate, premises, or other property for the establishment of said improvement; and shall further find the maximum amount of benefits, per acre, to be derived by each of the landowners from the construction of said improvement. And upon a return of the verdict into court, the same shall be recorded as in other cases; whereupon a decree shall be entered in accordance with the verdict so rendered, setting forth all the facts found by the jury, and decreeing that said right-of-way be appropriated, and directing the commissioners of said diking district to draw their warrant on the county treasurer for the amount awarded by the jury to each person, for damages sustained by reason of the establishment of said improvement, payable out of the funds of said diking district.